Dimples and Dreams
by Purplerubarb
Summary: The Cooper sisters find themselves in the world of One Piece, but only one of them understands what's going on. When they are suddenly separated, they strive to survive, to reunite and to get back home...hopefully in that order. Join them as they make friends, find love, and chase dreams- changing too much as they try to change nothing at all.
1. Chapter 1: the Storm

Kiana Cooper stared out at the ocean's water with a slight smile on her lips. The small waves, and fading light as the sun began its descent, causing a myriad of patterns on the water. Sounds of birds and ships along the coast disappeared as her family's sailboat moved further away from the port. All these things escaped her notice as she continued to stare without seeing at the water. Memories came to her mind, often starting new ones before she had fully processed the old. It had taken far longer than she originally planned to get her sisters sailing together since their parents were gone.

She turned away from the water and studied her older sister. She was constantly in awe, and a slight bit envious of Drusilla. Dru not only knew what she wanted out of life, but she had a plan to achieve it all in the shortest time possible. She also had taken care of the rest of them for the past two years since the car accident that took their parents from them.

If that weren't enough, Dru was also the epitome of beautiful, inside and out. Kind, almost to a fault, and always helping others. It was easy for Kia to compare the herself to her sister and find herself lacking.

Kia shifted to look at her younger sisters as well. Most people originally thought they were friends instead of sisters, as they were so close in age and so different in appearance. While there was only a little over a year between each of them, Dru and Ashley were tall like their father and almost reaching six feet, while she and Teresa took after their mother and were barely over five.

Kia smiled as she looked at each of them, not hearing the joke that Ash had said, but seeing Dru shake her head while smiling, and Reese snickering. She smiled as she thought of the one thing they had in common, given from their dad; they all shared his dimples in both cheeks when they smiled. Yes, it had taken longer for all their schedules to align so that they could take this week out on their family's sailboat. She had found the plans among her mother's papers, and decided they would go ahead with them, once Reese was out of school.

"Kia?"

She blinked as the voice penetrated her thoughts. "Um, yeah?" she said, looking at each of her sisters, as she wasn't sure who had spoken.

"Oh, I see." Ash smirked and continued, "Kia's dreaming about being a pirate again." She gripped the wheel in a mock of getting ready for something. "C'mon Kia! Let's join the monkeys and find the fleece!"

Kia scowled. It was so like Ash to tease her about the anime. She had watched a few episodes, but got it wrong on purpose. "Ash, it's Monkey D. Luffy, and he's trying to find One Piece! That's why it's __called One Piece!__ " she retorted, but with a smile.

"Ha-ha! My bad, Kia!" Ash laughed and asked, "well I was just wondering if you planned specific places to go, or if we are simply exploring?"

"I have a back up plan if needed, but I figured I'd leave it up to everyone." She replied.

"Let's just sail all the way around the world!" Reese yelled from the other side of the boat, "I've got plenty of time!"

"You may, but some of us only have the week." Dru added matter-of-factly. "How about we stop at bird island for lunch?" she continued.

Kia looked back at the oversized rock that they had continuously called an island when they were younger. She smirked at Dru, "Nice idea, but we already passed it a while ago."

Dru followed Kia's gaze. "hmm, that was faster than I remember."

Ash laughed and said, "that's because we are much more competent sailors now."

Dru smiled as well, "you're right about that." She paused, looking thoughtful, "well let's keep going then! Let's see how far we can get!"

"Woo-hoo!" Ash and Reese cheered. It wasn't very often that Dru was spontaneous, so they were taking full advantage.

Kia giggled and thought to herself, o _ _ff to adventure, just like One Piece!__

* * *

All four girls were shaken from their thoughts as a huge gust of wind almost blew them over. They looked around surprised, as the sky quickly grew dark. "Seriously?!" Kia said as she looked at the coming storm. "Where did this come from? It was bright and sunny until two seconds ago!"

"Quickly, get your jackets on, and let's get out of here!" Dru said urgently, having to raise her voice against the wind. "Ash, you've got the wheel! Reese, Kia, the sails!" she yelled as she ran for the stern of the boat. All three jumped into motion and tugged on their life jackets. Ashley ran to the steering wheel, prepared to steer them to safety.

"I can't see anything!" she shouted. "and it's getting darker by the minute!" She looked down at her instruments and had to take a closer look. "Something's wrong guys! It's showing the wind at 60 miles per hour, but our speed is almost non-existent! And the GPS…" she looked again, not sure she believed it, "says we've made an XTE. We're off course 20 miles starboard!"

It seemed that Kia and Reese ignored her, but they were focusing everything they had on getting the sails furled, so that they wouldn't tear.

"How is that possible, Ash?!" Dru yelled, even though she was only a foot away. "This just started!"

"I don't know!" Ash yelled back. It didn't make __any sense!__ Something had to be broken with her equipment and was corrupting the other pieces.

It seemed like hours as the girls were blown in the wind, unsure of where they were heading when almost as suddenly the wind let up. They stood and glanced around, and saw the light returning to the sky slowly, as the sun peeked out of the clouds.

"I can see the shore!" Ash cheered as she swung the wheel towards her new destination, and Reese and Kia unfurled the sails.

"Um, Ash? That doesn't look like anything near the Port." Kia commented as they got closer. "Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to land."

"It's a better idea to be stationary while I try to figure out what's up with the equipment," Ash replied as she drew them nearer to the island. "We'll be hopelessly lost if we can't figure out what's wrong with it."

"Agreed." Dru added. "Though, this whole thing is very strange. I wonder…" a loud scraping noise interrupted Dru's musings. It was followed by an even louder cracking. The girls looked at each other in shock as the boat began to fill with water. "… did we just hit, something?" Dru finished.

"We're not near enough to shore to hit anything." Reese argued. She jumped over to the railing and peered over. "It's some sort of… coral? I think."

"Perfect." Ash scrubbed her face with her hands, and then looked up at her sisters. "I have absolutely __no idea__ how to deal with this. But with the way the water is filling in here, we've probably going to have to swim to shore. We'll have to try to contact the coast guard or something, we're not all that far away from the port, maybe 5 hours?"

Dru, squeezed her shoulder. "It's not your fault Ash. No, it's not" she reiterated at Ash's incredulous look. "Grab what you can, emergency kit, backpacks, food. We don't know what's waiting for us over there." Her sisters were quick to follow her orders and ran through the galley to gather what they could as the water level rose.

"We're out of time!" Reese called as she came back to look over the railing, cinching the ties on her backpack. "Let's go! Looks like we're going to swim to shore." With that said, she jumped into the water, avoiding the coral. "Not too cold, so you'll survive, Kia!" she yelled as she surfaced, knowing Kia's aversion to the cold.

"Great. Just great." Kia mumbled, as Ash joined Reese in the water. "Guess there's not much choice."

"Guess not." Dru replied, as they shouldered their own backpacks, and joined their sisters in swimming to the nearby shore.

* * *

He paused. There was no way that he heard voices, but he silently waited anyway, just to be sure. When he didn't hear any sound besides the normal animal life after a couple of moments he continued his journey through the forest. He must be nearing the shoreline, if his calculations were correct, this island wasn't that large.

He stopped again. He heard something that time. There was no mistaking the voices that came, so there must be others on this island. But why? There was nothing of importance here. In fact, the island was so isolated that most people did not even know of its existence.

He contemplated his choices and decided to learn more before simply destroying the intruders. Leader was constantly telling him how important information was, and after all, he could simply destroy whomever it was afterwards.

He moved silently, his incredibly large size providing no hindrance. As he got closer, he could tell that there were multiple people judging from the voices that were… arguing? It seemed more than simply talking, however it was difficult to tell since the voices didn't seem angry. He continued forward, though much more slowly to not gain attention and he moved the foliage away so that he could view the people before him. And he stopped again, and simply stared.

 _ _They were… children,__ he thought. Though after further study, the eldest looked almost old enough to be of age but barely. He continued to study each of them in turn, gathering data. The eldest had dark, curly hair that hung to her shoulder blades, a slightly darker complexion than the others, and she seemed more… __elegant__ , he supposed. Though the word he wanted escaped him, he decided that it didn't matter.

He shifted his gaze to the girl next to her. There were similarities, yet everything was slightly off. Her hair, while also dark, shone red in the sunlight, and was not straight, but not quite as curly as her companion's. She was also about half a foot shorter. The biggest difference he could see was the bright blue of her eyes and the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

He shifted his eyes again, to the third girl. Lighter, almost blond hair that was straight and cut at an angle. Down past her chin in the front, yet short enough to be non-existent in the back. She seemed younger as well, but was as tall as the eldest girl, and had a slender build, almost like a boy.

He turned his gaze to the final girl. She was younger and shorter, about five feet tall, and looked to be a collection of features from the others. Her skin was more akin to the eldest, rather than the fair skin of the middle two, and she sported no freckles. Her hair was the darkest, and straight, reaching the small of her back. It seemed that her build was also more muscular, like a brawler, though still feminine as well.

As he took in the sight of all of them together, he concluded that they were probably related, perhaps sisters or cousins. At that moment, they smiled at each other, and he noticed they all had identical smiles with dimples in their cheeks. __Sisters then__ , he said to himself.

He started to process these findings with what the conversation had given him, but he still didn't quite understand. It was understandable that crashing into the coral trap would sink their ship, and understandable that they didn't know what island they were on, but how could they be so surprised at the foliage before them?

They acted as though they had never seen palm trees before. Where did they come from that that could be reality? Palm trees existed on practically every island in the Great Blue. True, maybe not winter islands, but by their light dress, they obviously didn't come from a winter island. They seemed to defer to the eldest girl, though by the constant arguing, perhaps they were all equal? It was not a logical situation, when decisions were to be made, someone needed to be in charge.

 _ _Did I__ _ _just hear that correctly? How could they not know where in the world they were? Did they not bring a navigator? Did that mean they were just sailing randomly without a log pose?__ As far as he knew, that meant certain death. Then there were the words that meant nothing in context, like Washington. Was that a place or a person? Should he have heard the name before? He wasn't sure, but he'd be sure to put that in his report.

 _And what exactly was anime, and why was the girl so upset about NOT having it? Was it really worth having? Perhaps it was something Leader would want._ They also were extremely upset over the loss of their boat. That was more understandable, as they were now stranded. There was not another island anywhere near, and as far as he knew, no one came to this place, ever.

He noticed that the girls were quiet now, all sitting and taking some sort of inventory. One girl held a small square… device. She alternately would raise it in the air and face in different directions while staring intently at it and trying to speak into it. __What could she be trying to do? And what was that device?__

Then he came to a decision. While they most definitely were not a threat, they would eventually perish on this island, so it would be a kindness to eliminate them now, rather than letting them starve to death. _ _However, it may be worth bringing the eldest back to base for interrogation. Yes, that would be best.__ So, decided, he stepped forward out of the brush, ready to quickly put down the younger three. He heard their gasps and screams, but that didn't cause him to stop as he so suddenly did. What froze him was the word he heard from one of them.

" ** _ _ **Kuma**__**?!"

* * *

Kia slapped her hand to her mouth. Why did she say that name? Sure, the gigantic man looked exactly like the character from One Piece. He was at over __20 feet tall__ , with the same dark, long, curly hair, and the beanie with the cute little bear ears. His clothes even had little paw prints on the cuffs, and he was carrying a bible, but __still__! It wasn't possible!

By the way the man had frozen and was staring at her (in fact everyone was staring at her) she wasn't sure if she had somehow insulted him or not. So, she simply sat there, with her hand over her mouth, staring back at the man.

"You know who I am?" the man asked her. "Tell me, how do you know me?" He continued calmly. Much __too__ calmly. Like, scary calm before the crazy started.

Kia found that she couldn't speak. Not that her brain had figured out what to say.

"What's going on? You know him, Kia?" Ash ventured quietly. "How?!"

"One Piece," Kia responded. She looked over to see her sisters staring at him in shock, and she couldn't blame them. They all knew Kia's __obsession__ with the anime and manga, the posters covering her walls, and the statues lining the shelves in her apartment. There were times that she chose buying One Piece items over food and had to come begging at their doors.

"Uh… sir, this may seem crazy, but it seems that where we are from there is a story about a boy who is trying to become the king of the pirates," Dru spoke, remembering at least the general plot line of the story. "and my sister recognized you, because you also are part of the story."

"As strange as it seems, it's true," Ash added. "While we haven't read the story, she has told us about it several times. I cannot see however, how this would be __possible__!"

"Indeed." The man they knew as Kuma answered. It seemed that he was not much of a conversationalist. They waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"According to the, um… story," Kia tried to speak without stuttering, knowing that she didn't exactly portray confidence. "You are Bartholomew Kuma, the Tyrant-"

 _ _The tyrant?__ Her sisters mouthed apprehensively, but she continued on.

"User of the paw-paw fruit, and one of the seven warlords of the sea. And, well, that's pretty much all I know," she finished lamely. Saying too much could get her maimed or even killed if he thought she was a threat.

"Interesting." Kuma again gave nothing away, his face a mask of indifference and his voice revealing nothing of his emotions. Kia found herself wondering if he was already swapping his body parts for machine parts, or if he was still completely human. She then wondered __why__ she was concerned about that at all. There were more pressing matters after all. Like how to get back home, and… okay, now she started to wonder if perhaps she was dead, or maybe having a some kind of vivid dream.

"We're not seriously thinking we are in some version of Kia's anime, are we?" Reese demanded. "Has everyone gone __insane?!__ There is a GIANT right in front of us!"

"I am not a giant, they are far larger," the man replied.

"And your explanation then?" Dru asked, looking back and forth between him and her sisters in apprehension.

"Well, obviously this is some sort of prank or perhaps someone is building a theme park on one of the little islands off the coast." Reese responded. "I'm not sure exactly, but obviously this is not the real Kuma, because there IS no REAL Kuma, and people AREN'T as big as buildings!," she finished as if there could be no argument.

"Reese," Dru began, "please, for once, use your head before you let your mouth go. We just spent the last hour arguing about how this can't possibly be an island anywhere NEAR Washington. We are obviously far from home and closing our minds to possible answers will not help us in figuring out the truth."

Dru looked around, first at the forest of trees that she had never seen before, the beach, the spot where their boat was half submerged, and finally up to the sky before continuing. "Obviously something strange is happening. First off, that storm was no ordinary storm. Complete darkness with no rain, lightning or thunder, and huge gales of wind with no waves in the water?" She glanced down at her watch, "By the sun's position, I'd say it is around noon, but according to my watch it is just after 5pm." She looked at her sisters again, and turned to Kuma, "can you help us understand what's going on? We'd be very grateful."

Kuma didn't speak at first, nodding to himself for his correct assessment of this girl. __She obviously was the eldest, as the others took her words as facts, and are looking to me__ _ _as if her words spoke for them all. Leader would want to meet her, and probably recruit her as well. They needed more allies that thought before acting.__ At this thought, he eyed the four of them again, and doubted that she would go if he killed her sisters. He sighed inwardly. __Perhaps I can convince them to separate.__

"You are currently on Tropska Island, on the northern edge of the South Blue," he began. "There is not much known about it, and I was sent here on a scouting mission to determine its uses, if any. I do not recognize the place you call Washington, but I do recognize one piece, though it is not a place. The One Piece is a legendary treasure left by Gold Roger, king of the pirates, and said to be on the final island in the Grand Line." He stopped there as he could see that all four of them had their jaws dropping with mouths wide open, though only one seemed happy.

"… So, we've what?" Ash began. "Time traveled, no, dimension traveled?"

"No." Reese stated. "We have been in some kind of accident and are all in a coma."

"And somehow having the same dream, at the same time?" Kia deadpanned. "Incorrect, try again."

"Okay," Reese thought a moment and continued, "Then, we're dead."

"And, what reincarnated?" Kia shot her down again, "wouldn't we be newborns then?"

"Aargh!" Reese threw her hands up in the air, "What do you want me to say, that we're in an anime? I WON'T say it!" she snarled at her sister.

Dru spoke before Kia could laugh, "Well, we're definitely not home any more."

"I give up." Reese said as she sat back down on the sand with her head in her hands. "So now what?"

"Well," Dru said, "I guess that depends on what Kia tells us." She turned to her younger sister. "give us an overview, okay Kia? We don't want the entire story, and don't even think of saying something like," she mimicked her sister's higher pitched voice, "Don't you wish you had watched one piece with me now?"

Kia snickered. "I only thought it, for like half a second, no worries!" She continued in a more serious tone, "okay, so there are five basic classes of people. Nobles, pirates, revolutionaries, marines, and civilians."

Kuma started listening with renewed interest. __It's not often you met others who believed they were__ _ _from outside of the world__ _ _after all.__ As he listened to the girl explain about the relationship between the government, its allies and those opposing them, he heard the angry mutters from her sisters about injustices and corruption.

He was correct in his assessment, Leader would most definitely want to meet them. He listened intently while feigning ignorance, taking mental notes to add to his report. __This was most definitely a strange situation,__ he thought. _ _This girl, who was speaking, knew much more than the average civilian, or even marine. In fact, if my__ _ _guess were correct, she knew much, much more than she was even sharing with the others.__


	2. Chapter 2: the Plan

Once Kiana had finished, Dru spoke up. "It looks like we don't have many options. We should probably plan on what we can do to survive here, while we look for a way back home." Her sisters looked at her in shock.

"What?" Dru asked, as she looked at Kuma out of the corner of her eye. "It's apparent to me, from our new friend, that we are nowhere near home. We don't even know how it happened, our only clue being some sort of weird storm, and even if we wanted to just sail around looking for home, we no longer have a boat. Getting a new one here means money, which we don't have, but the more pressing issues would be necessities- food, shelter, clean water… not to mention a way to make money to get all those things."

"Not only that," Kia added, "but if we want to survive here, we need to be able to protect ourselves, or have friends who will protect us. If we aren't strong enough to stand up for ourselves, then we'll be walked all over at best, beaten or killed at worst. I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but we may want to consider splitting up…"

"WHAT!?" Reese and Ash shouted in unison. "ARE YOU CRAZY?" Kia rolled her eyes. She noticed that Kuma seemed to have perked up at her comment.

"Just listen!" she replied. "In order to be able to speak to people that might have answers, we must travel around, which means we'll run into all sorts of people! We need to be able to have different skill sets, or even make friends with others with skills so that we can handle anything we come across! It would be plain stupid to learn how to defend ourselves, just to get lost the moment we head out!" she finished, much louder than when she started.

"Hmm, good point," Ash conceded, though not convinced. "But there is a lot you're not saying. How exactly are we going to get anywhere, let alone to the different places we can get the training, jobs, and everything else we need?"

"What skills do we even need?" Reese added, "We should probably plan what we can now."

Kia looked thoughtful as she turned to Dru. "Remember what we would say whenever Dad asked us what our dream was?"

Dru looked confused, "We would say, to sail around the world," she answered. "But what does that have to do with anything, Kia?"

Kia kept speaking as if Dru hadn't asked her a question, "and what became your new dream, Dru?"

Dru stared at Kia, beginning to understand where she was going with this line of questioning. She also responded without answering the question. "So, you think we should use the skills that we already wanted to achieve, rather than trying to fit ourselves into something we need but would hate?" she asked.

"Exactly." Kia answered. "Dru, you've been telling me for years that you were going to work for the UN, and using that, well, we will need a diplomat of sorts. Someone to look at the big picture, come up with tactics and such. You'll still have to learn to defend yourself, but that can be secondary."

"And you surprise me again, Kia," Dru looked approvingly at her sister, "I didn't think you were even listening, let alone remembering that __one__ conversation from three years ago."

"Yeah, well… it may have made an impression," Kia said. "You were so passionate about it. I remember thinking that I wished I was passionate about anything as you were about your dream. I mean besides One Piece of course."

"Of course," Dru smirked as her sister used humor to deflect the conversation away from her perceived flaw. "And what about you?"

Kia smiled again, knowing her sister wanted to say more but didn't for her sake. "I'm thinking something like medical training. We'll need someone with medical knowledge and being able to help others has always been my dream." Kia paused, then added, "I've just never known how to go about it. Plus, the fact that having medical knowledge could help in diplomatic matters at some point."

"Good thought," Dru responded. "Not to repeat you, but you'll also have to be able to defend yourself."

"Of course," Kia said with a smile.

Dru smiled in return, "and Reese?"

"Reese can speak for herself, thanks," Reese joined the conversation now, though she had sat silently as Kuma to this point. "I think the best course of action for me, is to join the marines."

" _ _What__?"/ " _ _Excuse me__?" her sisters said at the same time.

"Hear me out, "Reese said. "You mentioned that the marines have completely different techniques of fighting. Don't you think that would be important to have on our side?"

"Well sure," Kia began. "But Reese, you don't get to just leave whenever you want to. You'll receive orders you may not agree with, and if you don't follow them, you would be imprisoned or killed. Or both!" she exclaimed.

"True," Reese responded. "But, I think it's pretty obvious I was considering enlisting once I turned eighteen, and this isn't much different. If they are anything like our marines, they'll have different options in training for me to choose from."

"It's not a bad idea," Ash commented offhandedly, and Kia scowled.

"So," Dru began, "getting back to the issue at hand, how are we going to get started on this? We'll have to find some way off this island first I suppose?" though her question was general, she aimed it towards Kia. "And what island will give us everything we are looking for?"

Kuma took that moment to interject. "You will need my assistance to leave this island. There are no others close enough to get to by makeshift raft." He determined that they __could__ be helpful allies, with the knowledge he believed they possessed, and even more so if they were able to achieve their goals, so he would assist them in the first step.

Kia looked concerned, as she looked up at Kuma. "And what would your help cost us, Kuma?" she asked with a suspicious tone to her voice. She knew that he knew they were desperate and had no other means of transportation. He had been quiet this entire time, offering nothing. She wasn't sure if that was because he was worried about what she knew, but from what she remembered he wasn't one to simply offer help.

Kuma's gaze turned to Kia, with a slight smirk on his lips. She was taken aback, as she had never seen any sort of smile on his face in either the anime, the manga, or throughout the day. She was even more unprepared for his response.

"I only need one of you," Kuma said as his smirk grew. And he left them no time to respond, as he swung his hand towards them, and they each disappeared from Tropska Island one by one, including Kuma himself.


	3. Chapter 3: Reese in Shells Town

The first bit after landing, it was difficult to know what to do, so Reese merely lay there feeling sore as if she had just completed the workout of her life, followed by being punched several hundred times.

 _ _Even my head hurts,__ she groaned inwardly. __And not just because I was going crazy.__

Opening her eyes slowly, she hoped against hope that she had simply been dreaming, but sighed in disappointment as she saw the trees around her shining in the sunlight.

Groaning again, this time aloud, she thought, __It's official then, I'm insane. Not only did I end up in some sort of fairy tale story, now I'm all alone in the woods- which aren't even the same woods that I was standing in front of before.__

Lifting herself up into a sitting position, Reese took a look around, wondering if there were people on this island. The area wasn't completely overgrown, and as she looked to her right, she saw a small but clear path, which in her mind, meant civilization nearby.

 _ _I wonder what I'll say to anyone about how I got here?__ she thought. __Say my boat sank? It's not like I could tell anyone that I somehow went flying through the air and across the ocean only to crash land here.__ She shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. __I could tell them that if I want to be committed.__

Realizing that staying where she was wasn't going to help, she finally stood. The last thing she had spoken to her sisters about was perhaps joining the marines, so she decided that that was Plan A. __Scratch that,__ she thought again as her stomach rumbled. __Plan A is getting some food.__ With that thought in mind, she took off down the path.

Thirty minutes of walking later, she began to see the beginning signs of civilization. Finding herself in the outskirts of a town, where there were a few sporadic houses, and what was most likely farmland. In the distance, a tall, white- __or maybe blue?__ building could be seen though she couldn't tell what it was supposed to be, and eventually assumed some sort of government building.

Another few minutes down the road, and she spotted her first local. He was sitting off to the side of the road, and she quickened her pace slightly, excited that she wasn't alone, but not wanting to startle him.

He was older, perhaps in his sixties, with stark white hair, though he seemed in good shape. Dressed in what looked like work clothes, and a bandanna tied around his neck, Reese thought likely he was a farmer or laborer of some kind. He was accompanied by a couple of large bags, and he was eating an apple.

Before she could speak, he looked up and spotted her, a smile blooming on his weathered face. "Why 'ello there!" he called, his voice cheerful and friendly. "If ya lookin' for the town, ya headed in the right direction, though I'm not certain where ya were comin' from?" He raised his eyebrow at his own question, obviously curious as to why she had come from the woods.

Thinking that perhaps for now, less was more, she responded. "You're right, I am heading into town. I was left here by some guy my sisters and I ran into, and now I'm going to have to stay here until I figure out how to… Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself," she smiled a slightly more embarrassed smile. "I'm Teresa Cooper."

"Corbin," he responded with a nod of his head. "Pleasure meetin' ya."

"You as well, Corbin." It seemed he wasn't the type to give information freely, so she thought she'd have to ask. "So, can you tell me anything that I may need to know, since I'll be staying here for awhile?" she asked.

"Aye!" He grinned and gave a chuckle. "I could use some company for a bit. Would ya care for an apple?" he asked and tossed one as she nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled again as she sat down facing him, and practically inhaled it.

"Ya find ya self in Shells Town. We're not the biggest island around, but between the farms and orchards, the town, and the marine base," Reese perked up at that, "I'm sure ya'd be able to find work and a place to call home. Ya got any skills, or learned a trade?" he asked.

"Well, to be honest, not much," Reese answered, her hopes dropping as Corbin's smile did. "I spent most of my time at school, or studying, but I did spend my summers working in a restaurant." His smile returned, so she elaborated, "serving food, washing dishes, cleaning up, that sort of thing."

"Hmm, mayhaps we can find ya something after all." He tossed his apple core away and wiped his hands on his pants before holding out a hand to shake hers. "C'mon then, ya help me carry these into town, and I'll help ya locate the restaurants."

"Couldn't ask for a better deal!" she said, tossing aside her own apple core, grabbing his hand, and shaking it wildly. She looked at the bags of apples and noticed the straps that resembled a backpack. __Easy enough__ , she thought, moving her own backpack to her front side, and reaching out for the larger bag to put on her back.

"Now, now," Corbin stated while putting his hand up in a stop motion. "ya should let __me__ get… that…" he trailed off and just stared in amazement. "How did a little thing like ya, pick that huge bag up so easy?" he asked.

"I'm stronger than I look!" she answered with a grin. __Now this was something I was used to! Other people were always underestimating my strength back home because of my size, and I wasn't even that small!__ she thought. Smiling happily at him she called, "Let's go Corbin! Hope you can keep up!" and laughed as she turned back to the road and started walking.

"Hey, wait up!" he yelled and ran to catch up with the slightly smaller bag on his back.

Reese could honestly say she thoroughly enjoyed the walk into town. While Corbin didn't say much more about the island, or the town they headed to, he did tell story after story of the people there. He seemed to know just about everyone, from the farmers who came to sell their crops in the market, to the business owners, and even the mayor. He had good things to say about all of them, which had Reese thinking that he was trying to sell this town as the best place to live. It was hard to mind when he was so genuine about it.

It seemed likely that this island would be home for the near future, and she had heard Corbin mention a marine base, though he didn't say anything about it now. That was a perfect fit into her longer-term goals, so she made a mental note to see what the requirements were for joining.

For now, she simply listened to Corbin's stories, getting to know the future neighbors in a limited way before meeting them. The time passed quickly, and walking into the town, he led her toward a busy street full of market stalls, and Corbin stopped and said, "Here we are."

Reese turned a small circle, looking from the stand in front of her, and around the street. It was small, but one of many on the street, and they all resembled stands in a farmer's market. Turning back to Corbin in question, he continued before she could ask. "Aye, it's not much, but everyone knows to come here to buy my apples." She nodded in understanding, and pulled the bag from her back, gently placing it on the ground for him.

"Thanks Corbin. You've been a most excellent guide, and friend. When I get a job, I'll make sure to come buy apples from you myself!" she said with a smile of gratitude.

"Be sure ya do!" he agreed happily, "Ah, but one more thing. Take this bundle into the restaurant across the street there. And tell them that Corbin sent ya in to help them out!" He grinned as he shook her hand again and placed a smaller bag into her arms.

"Did I mention that you're the best? Because you are!" she called as she turned and headed across the wide street, only hesitating long enough to take a deep breath and wave back to him behind her, before opening the door and walking inside.

There were some people in the place, but it wasn't very busy, so Reese took her time and looked around. It seemed more like a pub than an actual restaurant, but she felt that that was even better. It would be easier to get information from the locals, as well as determining if joining the marines here was the best plan before getting in too deep.

She smiled to herself as she walked slowly towards the bar. There were tables, sure, but not too many, and it seemed as if people could order food at the bar as well. __Perfect, just my kind of place,__ she thought.

"Can I help you miss?" the woman behind the bar asked, interrupting her thoughts. Her initial reaction was surprise that such a petite and soft spoken woman manned the bar, but smiled as she thought that she wasn't the only one that could be stronger than she seemed.

"Sure, " Reese replied. "My new friend Corbin asked me to deliver these apples, and mentioned something about you all needing help around here? I'm hoping I can be that help."

The kind looking woman brushed a hand over her dark hair, and tucked the loosening pieces behind her ear. She smiled gently before holding out her arms for the apples. "I can take those," she said, and Reese handed over the bag. "For the other part, you'll need to speak to the owner. She's right over there, behind you and to the left at the back table. The one that is writing and has an angry look on her face." She smiled again at Reese, with a little more humor this time. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Reese responded, "for the info and the luck." Wasting no time, she turned and started walking to the back of the room, wondering what she had gotten herself in to, when she saw the woman at the back looking as if she were grinding her teeth in frustration.

It was difficult to guess her age, with her black hair that was just starting to sport some gray. Her skin was smooth, though there were fine lines that were forming from her furrowed brow as she poured over her paperwork. Based on how lovely her slacks and blouse were, Reese supposed that she didn't work in the pub, but simply owned it.

 _ _Whelp, no time like now.__ With that thought, Reese closed the distance, and spoke up. "Excuse me, ma'am? Can I have a moment of your time please?" she asked politely.

"You can have all my moments, if it means getting a break from this paperwork" she grumbled in response and waved towards the seat across the table for the younger girl to sit down.

Reese smiled, stamping down on her nerves. "My name is Teresa Cooper, and I've heard that you are looking for some additional help here. I have experience in a restaurant, am a hard worker, and while I can't cook worth spit, I can clean better than, well, pretty much anyone!" she spoke quickly, trying to get it all out before she could be told differently.

"Well, Teresa Cooper," the owner replied, "I __am__ looking for some help, but to be honest, I only need someone a couple hours a day. As you can see, we aren't extremely busy." She watched, as the smile fell from Reese's face. "Hmm," she continued, "Not what you were hoping for?" she asked.

"I apologize," Reese answered with a sigh. "It's just that I'm new here, and I need to find a job, a place to stay, and a way to eat… and you're right," she added, "based on what Corbin told me, I was hoping for more than that."

"Ah," the owner shook her head in amusement. "That nosy old coot."

"Ex-excuse me?" Reese questioned, thinking she must not have heard correctly.

"That man just always sticks his nose into everyone's business." She put her chin in her hand, and studied the girl as she continued, "And just always has to help a lady in need," she ended with a smirk.

"I, well uh, he was really nice, and helpful…" Reese stammered, trying to stay tactful.

"No matter, he's right after all," she continued speaking right over Reese's attempts, "I am the best option for you now. My place has an extra room, and you can eat whatever Ririka makes for the customers. Since there's not enough work here to cover the expenses, I'll have you running deliveries, and completing any other errands I'm in need of. You'd also receive a small amount to cover necessities." She paused and then asked, "Sound fair to you?"

"It sounds more than fair, it sounds too good to be true." Reese paused momentarily, as the mantra passed through her mind. __If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.__ So, she asked hesitantly, "But what brought all this on, if you don't mind me asking?"

The owner laughed, "My name is Celine, but most people around here just call me C.C."

"Most call me Reese," came the reply.

"Well, come on Reese," C.C. said, "I'll introduce you to Ririka and give you the tour." They started walking back towards the bar when C.C. lowered her voice to keep their words just between them. "And my brother must have seen something special in you, because you're the first he's ever sent my way. I'm not about to ignore that." With a wink and a smirk, C.C. continued into the kitchen, while Reese stopped and gaped at her. She turned her head and asked, "You coming, or what?"

 _ _Okay__ , Reese thought _ _, so first step taken care of,__ as she hurried to catch up to her new employer.


	4. Chapter 4: Dru with the Revolutionists

Dru woke, though she didn't open her eyes yet. __I must have finally passed out__ __though I've never done that before, but there's a first time for everything I suppose,__ she thought.

 _ _Reese…__ she thought unhappily as the guilt came back. She had stood there, slack jawed as her youngest sister had disappeared, and the gigantic man's hand then came at her. Then she was flying through the air without any idea of where she was going, if she would even live through the experience, or if she would ever see her sisters again- without the chance of even saying goodbye. __I hope they are all okay…__

She found it difficult to remain calm in her new situation, but not knowing who may be listening, she focused instead on her surroundings. __Definitely people coming and going… I must be in a building of some kind, as I can hear a door opening and closing.__

Focusing closer to herself, she determined she was laying on a bed, and she was still wearing her life jacket. This thought calmed her more than any other, as no one would undress her and put her life jacket back on before laying her in a bed, so she was relatively certain nothing bad had happened to her person while she had been unaware.

The area became more quiet, so Dru decided to open her eyes, blinking rapidly at the brightness. __Hmm,__ she mused, __the room is bigger than I had imagined, and looks like some sort of infirmary.__ There were beds spread throughout the room, leaving an aisle in the middle of them. She noted that the door was closed, and as far as she could tell, she was alone.

Glancing around again, she pushed herself up to sit in the bed, and stretched her sore muscles. Finding it difficult to do with her life jacket on, she unbuckled and took it off as well, storing it under the bed, before standing to stretch.

Raising her arms above her, and looking up at the ceiling, Dru thought back to what little information she had gotten from Kia before being separated. __To survive, we'd need to be able to protect ourselves, or find those to protect us?__ She wished that the huge man had given them a bit longer before showing his __neat__ flying trick. This would have been easier if they had made some sort of plan ahead of time.

The door opened again, and Dru turned to it, seeing a girl about her own age come in carrying a tray with a covered plate and cup on it. __What is that hat,__ _ _like an oversized conductor's hat? So cute!__ Dru thought to herself. Her red blond hair was short, just below her chin, and with her ruffled shirt and short skirt paired with tall boots, she reminded Dru of the way the popular girls at school had dressed.

"Hi! I see you're finally awake! You must be ready for this food! Or would you rather get cleaned up first?" the girl asked, and Dru finally pulled her arms back down from her stretch.

"I think I'd rather have some information first," she responded in a mostly polite tone of voice.

"Oh! How rude of me! My name is Koala, it's nice to meet you." The cute girl said as she put the tray down on the table near the bed, and took a seat on the neighboring one.

"Likewise, and I'm Dru," she responded, deciding that dressing cute didn't mean snooty. "I was thinking more along the lines of, where am I? Why am I here? Are my sisters here too? Can I leave, or are you keeping me here? And most importantly, where's the bathroom?"

Koala giggled before answering, "You're in our base, because you came to join us, I don't know of anyone else being with you, I guess you could I won't stop you, and right over there," she pointed to the left at the door at the opposite end of the aisle, across from the entrance.

Dru wasted absolutely no time and rushed over without saying another word.

A few minutes later and feeling much better, she rejoined Koala in the main room of the infirmary, having gone over her answers, and wanting some clarification.

"What do you mean, I came to join you? I mean, I don't even know who you are," Dru asked, her mind reeling at the implications that she had somehow __joined__ with a group without being aware of it.

Koala looked over with a small frown, "That's what I was told by our chief of staff when he brought you here, that you were recruited." She smiled and lowered her voice to a whisper, "I admit, we're all quite curious as to your story."

Dru frowned as well, wondering how she could even begin to describe the last twenty-four hours. __If it has even been that long? I wonder what Kuma told them, no, I wonder what I should tell them. And, if I did, would they even believe me?__ she thought.

"Ahem."

Breaking out of her thoughts to the sound the Koala made, she was surprised that she had somehow completely forgotten about a person right in front of her.

"Sorry about that, but I figured I should ask again," Koala said, looking apologetic. "Would you like a shower? Or I can always come back later. Everyone wants to meet you, but there is absolutely no rush. We want you to feel comfortable."

Dru admitted to herself that a hot shower sounded like heaven, and putting off meeting whoever __everyone__ was sounded almost as good.

"I'm sorry," Dru replied. "I was getting stuck in thought and zoned out for a moment. I would really like a shower, and maybe some fresh clothes if there are any available? Then I'd be willing to talk, as long as I can get as many answers as I give." __Hopefully then, I'd be able to determine where I was, and if this place would serve my needs for the time being.__

"Sounds great!" Koala replied as she guided Dru towards the door by pulling on her hand. "We can go see if you like anything in my closet, because we look about the same size. If we go to the requisition officer, you'll end up with awful clothes that nobody else wants, and I can't make you wear those!"

* * *

After spending what some would consider too long in front of Koala's closet, Dru finally picked some relatively simple jeans and a t-shirt to borrow. Then taking a long and hot shower, dressed, and then followed Koala to their… cafeteria.

They had a line of people getting food from others that were serving, and tables all around the room. Dru hunched instinctively as she felt the stares in her direction since they entered and headed towards a table in the back of the room. Koala had her sit, while she retrieved food, and Dru watched as she cut into the front of the line next to a man... that had to be the strangest looking man she had ever seen.

Looking around the room, she noticed that there were actually people of all shapes and sizes. From very small, to giant sized, and others that even looked… animalistic. She suddenly found her hands very interesting, as she didn't want any of them to think she was staring at them.

 _ _I knew we were nowhere near home…__ she thought. __But this truly is a completely different world. I would have thought seeing a man as big as a building would have had it sinking in, but this…__ she looked up at the man next to Koala again, realizing she was a little scared of what exactly they had gotten themselves into.

"Never seen a fishman before, huh?"

Turning to the sound of the voice, Dru saw a younger guy with shaggy blond hair and a wicked looking scar around his left eye. She had jumped slightly, seeing him sitting next to her, when she hadn't even heard him approach. __When did he get here?!__ She looked at him apprehensively, as he looked at her in expectation. __Oh right, he asked me a question.__

"A what?" she replied, turning towards him to see him better, and looking him up and down. He was wearing black pants, blue vest, and a white shirt with ruffles that reminded her of the covers of the romance novels her mother used to read. And with that thought, she felt her cheeks heat as the image of him on a romance novel cover came to mind. __Gee, thanks Mom…__

"A fishman. Part man, part fish? Can breathe above and under water? Although, I don't know why I'm still asking, it's pretty obvious you've never seen one before." He smiled as he finished, and Dru just hoped it wasn't because he could tell why she was blushing.

"You're right, I actually have never hea… um, MET a fishman before." __Oh geez Dru, could you be any more transparent?__ She cursed herself, and turned back to face front, though she could see him still studying her. __The last thing I needed right now was to be suspicious, and here I go, doing just that with the second person I talk to. Only way to fix it, is to try to change the subject.__ "So, do you know Koala then? I just met her earlier."

"Yep, Koala and I tend to work together pretty often," he said. As if she could sense her name being used, Koala turned to look at them, and Dru gave her a little wave, noticing that he did the same. __This conversation just became somewhat awkward__ _…_ she thought.

"That's nice," Dru continued, wanting to face palm. "She's really great, I'm sure she is great to work with too." __Dru the great diplomat, who can't even handle small talk…__

"Yeah, she really is." He paused as he stood up, and then turned, "I'd better get back to work, but it was nice meeting you Dru."

"Uh, yeah, you too" she replied, watching him walk away, and feeling bad that she didn't ask his name. Feeling discouraged, and out of her league, she rested her head on the table, and waited for Koala to return with the food.

* * *

Sabo was lost in thought as he walked down the hallway towards Dragon's office. He still wasn't convinced that this girl was as harmless as Kuma believed, but he was closer to being convinced. She had been staring around the room like a lost little girl, and then the look on her face when she saw Hack? This had been the first time she had ever seen a fishman of any kind before, he was sure. There was no faking her reaction, and she hadn't been aware that she had an audience.

However, it was also obvious that she was hiding things. She had been about to say something else before agreeing that she had never met a fishman before, and then there was the fact that she blushed when she realized someone was watching her. If she was a spy, she was very, very good. It was just difficult at this point to tell if she was. He hoped that Koala would be able to get more information from her. He reached his destination and knocked on the door before opening it and stepping in to give his report.

* * *

After eating, Dru followed Koala as she gave a tour of the base, though she knew she wouldn't remember any of it. She was more interested in what she had learned during the meal. She had been worried that she would somehow offend Hack, but upon learning that she knew nothing of fishmen, he proceeded to answer any questions she had, and then some, giving a short history of the culture.

It was quite intimidating at first, seeing a man with scales under his eyes, and gills on his neck, with yellowish skin and blue hair; but he was so patient and kind Dru couldn't help but like him. He and Koala both, would simply beam with pride and righteous anger as they spoke about the fishmen, Fishman Island, and the animosity between them and the humans.

From what Kia had said, and now with this new information, Dru felt she understood a little more why Kia was so serious about the sisters being able to defend themselves. __Nobles and government officials who could basically do whatever they wanted with no repercussions? Pirates who simply did and took whatever they wanted? I knew I was not prepared for this.__ _ _None of us were.__ Dru determined her course of action, and spoke up.

"Koala?" she interrupted as Koala was explaining the purpose of the building they were in front of, "I think it's time for us to have that talk."

"Okay Dru, did you want to go back to your room?" she asked.

"No, here is fine." It was a nice night, with a slight breeze, and the stars were coming out. Dru had decided to be honest with Koala, well… somewhat honest. "I came here from Tropska Island. I've never been anywhere else in this world, and I'm not sure where or how I'll fit in. All I know is that I want to find my sisters, and somehow get back home." She kept staring at her feet as she spoke, but looked up at her new friend as she asked, "What exactly is this place Koala?"

She looked back, searching her face for a moment before answering. "It's not really my place to tell you that Dru. All I can say is that we want what's best for the world, and we strive to make that happen. I can tell you why I am here. I want things in this world to change, and I can't wait for someone else to bring that change, I have to help make it happen." She smiled gently and took her hand to lead her away. "Anything else, will have to come from Leader."

Dru stopped walking and pulled Koala to a stop as well. __No time like now, right Reese?__ she thought as she looked into Koala's eyes. "Then you'd better take me to him," she declared. Koala smiled a genuine smile and turned around excitedly.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed and led at a much faster pace. Dru knew she was thoroughly lost by the time she stopped, wondering what direction they had even come from. Koala reached out and knocked on a large, unmarked door. Hearing a voice call out to enter, she cracked open the door and spoke to whoever was inside.

Thinking of her sisters to keep her nerves in check, Dru steeled herself. __We needed to get stronger, and this was just the first step of many,__ she thought.

Koala stepped back and opened the door wider to gestured Dru inside. Seeing the man alone at the desk, Dru stopped, and turned back to Koala. "Can you come in with me?" she asked, following her gaze to the man at the desk. He nodded, and she gestured Dru in, following behind her and closing the door. She stepped forward and gestured to the man.

"Dru, this is out Leader. His name is Dragon." She then gestured to the other girl. "Dragon, sir, this is Dru, she's the one that came here this morning."

"Hello," Dru said timidly, her voice cracking as it decided not to cooperate. Dragon wasn't physically intimidating because of his size, he was the normal height for a man from back home, however, his long black hair, and his dark eyes, plus the tattoos on the left side of his face made him intimidating.

The respect that Koala showed him simply added to the overall effect. He was dressed simply in a long sleeve shirt and pants, but his entire being screamed power to Dru, causing her to stay quiet.

"It's nice to finally meet you Dru Cooper. Kuma has told me quite a bit about you and your sisters." Dru gaped for a moment, anger and then sadness crossing her features.

"Did he say anything about where they are?" she asked. "I'm anxious to find them."

"Ah," he nodded, replying, "he did not give me specifics, but said that he sent them where they would find what they needed."

"What they… __what they needed?!"__ Dru asked sarcastically, getting heated.

"Yes." He was still so calm, like he didn't notice her emotional outburst. "Which begs the question, what is it that __you__ are needing from us here, Miss Dru?"

He hadn't asked her to sit, but Dru collapsed into a chair anyway. __I am literally the worst almost diplomat ever,__ she thought. __He wasn't giving me anything!__

An idea came unbidden, and she realized suddenly that compromise was the only way. To get answers, she would need to provide answers. They probably trusted her as much as she did them, so she would need to take a step of trust, as it were.

"I'd like to tell you my story, Dragon sir, and in return I'd like to hear yours." Dru spoke, seeing Koala stiffen slightly, and thinking perhaps she had gone about it wrong. Dragon merely looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

"Agreed," he said.

* * *

Spending the next few hours talking, after swearing both of them to secrecy about herself and her sisters, Dru explained what she could about her journey, as well as knowing what she did, or rather what Kia knew about their world being due to a story.

They asked questions that she couldn't answer, as she couldn't seem to even remember the names of the main characters, let alone if they were apart of it. She told them about meeting Kuma, and how Kia had recognized him. Dragon nodded along, so she assumed Kuma had at least corroborated that part.

Dragon then proceeded to explain in greater detail the situation the sisters had found themselves a part of. The corruption of the government and the marines, that he had decided to be the change in the world, rather than waiting for change to occur. He didn't say much about the people he had but did mention that they were serving all over the world, infiltrating, looking for recruits, helping others to save themselves. As he said this, it struck a chord within Dru, who finally felt as if she had found somewhere to get the help she knew she needed.

"I don't know what the future has in store, but I know that once I find my family, we will be looking for a way back to our home," Dru said. "Until that time, I would happily join your cause." Koala clapped her hands, ready to give me a hug, and Dragon's eyes also lit up before she continued. "However, I'm afraid that I must ask for another favor in return."

Dragon frowned, and said, "We don't normally let our recruits give stipulations. What favor would you ask?"

Taking a deep breath, Dru readied herself to gamble, for if he refused, she had no plan B. "We made a decision before we were separated, that we would continue our dreams, and we would train to be able to defend ourselves. The favor would be that you help me in both endeavors."

Dragon looked thoughtful while Koala spoke up, "What's your dream, Dru?"

"To be able to help people of differing cultures to communicate and get along," she replied. "It is my dream to be a diplomat."

Dragon's smile returned to his face, and he stood from behind his desk. Dru rose as well as he came around it to stand in front of her. He looked at her and said in earnest, "We would help you with your dream, even without a bargain between us. It seems we are in agreement again, Miss Dru." He didn't turn away as he addressed Koala, "It appears we have a new recruit, who will need a room. Please take Miss Dru to the requisitions officer and get her everything she needs."

Koala stood as well, giving a jaunty little salute, before going to the door and holding it open. Dru looked at Dragon through watery eyes as she tried not to cry. "Thank you sir," she said, her gratitude overwhelming her.

"Welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Miss Dru." He smiled and sat down behind his desk, as Koala closed the door.

"Alright," she said as she rubbed her hands together in excitement. "Sleepover tonight, requisitions tomorrow!" She grinned at Dru in question, and received a smile in return.

"Sounds perfect," Dru replied.


	5. Chapter 5: Ash in the Gloom

__Okay, that was something new,__ Ashley thought as she finally picked herself up from the ground. __I've taken plenty of flights, but that was in a whole different ballpark.__ She had held her breath for as long as possible before giving in, and then realized she had some sort of bubble of air surrounding her so that she could breathe. __Looking back on it, I probably would be okay with doing it again, but Kuma is still getting a punch for sneaking up on me like that.__

Looking around, it was obvious that she had been sent somewhere new. Besides the fact that she had flown through the air away from Tropska island of course. It was easy to assume she was on an island, based on the way the shoreline curved, however the fog had been thick as she had neared, so she wasn't certain.

Looking up, she was unable to see the sky through the fog, and felt uneasy at not knowing whether it was day or night. Going with her gut, she felt it was more likely evening, as the sun would help burn away the fog. __And this fog seems to be thickening,__ she thought with a grimace.

 _ _Walking inland, or along the shore?__ she asked herself, before deciding to walk inland. There was no guarantee she'd find people either way, but people were more likely to build inland than on a beach. Starting off, Ashley couldn't seem to get rid of an uneasy feeling, and focused more on figuring out what was causing it, then where she was going.

 _ _That's it…__ she thought _ _,__ looking around. __It's too quiet.__

Noting there were plenty of trees, but none of the usual insect or animal sounds one would normally hear, she began walking faster. After a short time, the trees opened into a clearing, and she was able to see a large building in the distance, which looked like a castle.

 _ _What am I doing? s__ he thought. __I'm on a creepy island, complete with a creepy castle in the distance, am I seriously thinking of going there?__

Her thoughts turned toward the logistics, and deciding that the castle equaled shelter, with a strong possibility of food, she continued on.

The castle loomed as she got closer and she saw a couple of lights on outside. __That's one mystery down, it's definitely dark due to it being late in the evening.__ "I guess it's not so creepy after all," Ashley said aloud to herself.

That's when she heard the heavy breathing coming from behind her, freezing her blood, though she continued to walk. Nothing good could be making that sound after all. She couldn't call it human exactly, as there was a slight growl on the exhale.

Deciding her imagination was conjuring much worse than what would actually be there, she turned slowly, only to stop and gape at the creature following her. __Is that a baboon? Wearing armor?__

Seeing the huge sword it was dragging behind it, she stared for another moment as the large primate stared back. Then as her mind kicked back into gear, she turned and ran for the castle as fast as she could. Weaponless was bad enough, but she doubted she would even be able to fight a giant monkey had she had a weapon. And who knew if there was more than one?

Thanking whoever may have been listening that there was some semblance of a road leading to the castle at this point, because running from __monkeys__ in a __forest__ , was a recipe for disaster. Seeing the gateway to the castle up ahead, she pushed on even harder, passing under a stone archway and pushing on toward the castle.

Hearing a shriek that sounded further back, she glanced behind her, and came to a stop, leaning over with her hands on her knees and panting for breath. She didn't understand what she was seeing, the monkeys- there were now three of them- were standing back from the archway, looking as though they were afraid of it.

One would inch forward and just before touching it, would jump back as if afraid they would be electrocuted or something. __Is there some sort of electric fence, like people had for dogs back home?__ She thought. Shaking her head, she chided herself for her foolishness. __Yeah, like they were someone's pets, and they were being kept out of the rose garden, you dummy.__

Glancing back toward the castle, she thought of the giant man she had met earlier that sent her flying. __I suppose at this point, anything is possible.__

Since she was no longer being chased, Ashley took her time to go to the front door, examining the grounds as she did. There was quite a bit of vegetation growing… everywhere. But while it didn't look like it was being taken care of, neither was it overgrown on the building.

Walking up the steps, she grabbed the large knocker and banged loudly several times, then waited.

And waited.

She gave ample time before knocking again, knowing that the house was huge, and it would take anyone awhile to get to the door. After almost twenty minutes, she decided to simply try the door, feeling like there weren't many other options.

And… it opened.

 _ _Okay, brilliant, now what?__ "Hello?" she said, though it came out more like a whisper. Clearing her throat she tried again, "HELLO?" she shouted loudly, though didn't expect a response because if they didn't hear the knocking, they wouldn't hear her either.

 _ _I've read enough stories to know that people who simply walk into others__ _'_ _ _houses and make themselves at home, have bad things happen to them.__ Having that thought, she quickly decided to stay in the entry way.

She had every intention of staying there until the owner of the house came back, but hours later, she changed her mind. Being hungry and cold she could deal with, but needing a bathroom was a non-negotiable.

Giving herself a time limit, she tried the doors nearest the entry, hoping for a small powder room, but had no luck. Picking a direction, she moved down the hall, determined to turn back after four doors.

At the third door, she stopped and gaped, mesmerized by the sight of the dimly lit room, before stepping in.

It looked like the most awesome home gym ever. It was basically a dojo, in the castle. There were weapons hanging on three walls with a mirror running the length of the final wall, as well as mats on the floor. Knowing she shouldn't touch anything, though she __really__ wanted to, she turned to the mirror and grimaced.

 _ _Wow, I was__ __looking good!__ she thought. Taking off her life jacket, and finger combing through her hair, trying to tame it back into style, she shivered. A hot shower sounded amazing, but she was still an uninvited guest in someone else's home.

She backed out of the room, closing the door. Trying the next door, she found the bathroom, and immediately forgot the other room in her need. Returning to the entry, she decided to curl up on the chair closest to the door, and even found a blanket draped over a sofa.

Warming up and sleeping sounded like the cure for her curiosity, so she did her best.

* * *

He stared at the humandrills. They never came this close to his castle, and indeed, once they saw him, they ran off, back to the woods from whence they came. Still, it was odd that they would even be here, as if waiting for something… or someone. He looked up to his castle. He wasn't sure if he left the outside lights on, but one thing was certain. If anyone dared to invade his home, they would sorely regret it very soon.

He found himself simply staring again. There was a girl, of all things, __asleep__ on his armchair. The insanity of this day continued to rear its head. First, the pirates he encountered were more than happy to have him destroy their ship and leave them floating on the remains, then he spent his afternoon with Red-Hair and his crew, which was by definition insanity, and to top it off, he now had a little girl in his home. These types of days were the reason why he secluded himself here. He really didn't want to deal with this now, so he simply walked past the girl, and continued up the stairs to his room, where he promptly forgot all his problems and went to sleep.

She opened her eyes and watched him stride up the stairs. It took a moment for her fuzzy brain to engage, but once she realized what had happened, she smiled. The owner came home, and didn't kick her out, yet. Tomorrow may change that, but for tonight, she could stay. She changed position and fell right back asleep.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Though the words were not spoken loudly, Ashley jerked awake and looked up for what had startled her. Her eyes widened as she focused on the tall, dark man looming over her. Staring, not quite sure what to say, and knowing how well sarcasm flew from her mouth she thought it better to stay quiet.

Her thoughts took a turn as she wondered how difficult it was to shave in order to get those exact points on his mustache and sideburns. Tilting her head to get a different view, she saw his eyes narrow.

 _ _What… his eyes. They were… golden. And piercing, so much so, that they seemed to pierce right through me.__ They made him that much more intimidating, and she quickly looked anywhere else. He fit any imaginings of a pirate she may have had; with his black boots and pants, white pullover shirt with the frilly collar which was open and showing his chest. He also wore necklace of some sort, with a large cross pendant.

" _ _WELL?!__ _"_ he snarled suddenly.

"Oh, um, sorry… what?" she stammered out in reply, because her thoughts had kept her from understanding his previous words. She looked up again, only to freeze when when his eyes locked onto hers.

" _ _What… are… you… doing… here?__ " He said slowly, practically growling in his anger, and Ashley wondered if she would even be able to survive this encounter.

"Yeah, okay, so we ran into this humongous giant guy, and he hit me- or something- next thing I know, I'm flying and then crash landing on this island!" She was talking quickly, her words only getting faster as she continued, in her haste to be able to explain. "It was dark, and some crazy monkeys were chasing me, I ran up here, and they left me alone, so I decided to stay and wait for whoever lived here to get back, so I could get some help and then I fell asleep on the chair -sorryaboutbarginginbytheway."

She took a few panting breaths, as she hadn't taken a breath through her tirade. He didn't say anything, just continued to glare, though one dark eyebrow was cocked up in a questioning fashion. Deciding to press her luck, she added, "So, if you can help me get a ride out of here, I'd like to find my family."

"No."

"Wow, that's final, though I can't really blame you, I mean, it was a pretty big favor to ask. Alright, so do you know how often ships come in? Maybe I can catch a ride out with one."

"This is my island, no one comes here," he stated. He crossed his arms and glared at her like she was a bug.

"Okay…" she replied, wanting to hurry and leave. "I realize that this is inconvenient for you, but I'm trying to get out of your way, honest! I just need a way off this island!"

"And then what?" he asked. "Where will you go?"

She paused, "Okay, so I haven't thought that far yet. I have things I need to do, and I can't do them here, so I have to go, it's that simple. And obviously you want me gone as well."

He snorted, "Hmph, good luck with that. I doubt you'll get very far before the humandrills kill you."

"The what?" she asked, bewildered.

"The __monkeys__ as you called them."

She frowned, thinking that his default setting must be disgust, or perhaps anger. He wielded both of them like a champion as he looked at her. Her own annoyance spiked, __it wasn't like I asked to be here!__ she thought.

"If you want to be rid of me so badly," she stated hotly, "you might try helping me instead of sneering at me."

"It is not my duty to __help__ you," he replied. "If you are staying here, you must do your part. There are meals to cook, the entire castle and grounds to maintain, the garden to weed and water, and laundry to clean." With that, he turned around and walked further into the castle.

"What… wait just a minute! If you think I'm going to be your maid, you are sorely mistaken!" She yelled as she jumped up to follow him. Rushing through the doorway she had to stop suddenly as he had turned and was glaring at her again.

"If you want a place to sleep and food to eat, you will do so," he said stonily. "I did not ask you here, yet you were sent nonetheless. You will not be able to leave until you have the ability to do so without dying. __Those__ are your options. Stay or leave. You know the consequences for each." He turned again and went out the back door.

Ashley simply stared after him. __What a pompous, rude__ _…_ _ _Yet, what kind of choice did I have? If I left, those humandrill things would tear me to shreds! If I stayed, I'd become Mr. Bighead's servant!__ She didn't like either of her options. He had said something about leaving once she was able… did that mean he would help if she got stronger? __No,__ she determined. __It wasn't his__ duty __to help me.__

Looking around the room she had run in to, she rolled her eyes. __Of course, he would lead me into the kitchen,__ she smirked. __He'll probably change his mind once he samples my cooking.__

Taking her time, Ashley looked through the cupboards and drawers, familiarizing herself with the room. Then she went on a much more in depth tour of the castle, and eventually discovered a room that she claimed for her own, since it had an adjoining bath.

Looking through the closet, she found clothes that would work, although they were quite old and too big, and reveled in the hot shower she was able to have. By the time she made it back downstairs, it was late afternoon, and her stomach let its disapproval be known, loudly.

Returning to the kitchen, she made two sandwiches- one for herself, and one for her host. If he didn't eat it, then she'd have another for the next day. However, she didn't realize how great her hunger was, and ended up eating both.

Feeling guilty, though she couldn't fathom why, she made another sandwich for the man. __I don't even know his name, and I'm feeling bad for not making him food! This is so ridiculous!__

Deciding that she'd rather just do as he asked, __no demanded,__ she went outside to determine the work that needed to be done. __Perhaps once I helped him, he'd be more inclined to help me after all,__ she thought.

She didn't truly expect that to happen, but knowing that she couldn't just waste her days away here, and that the man seemed to get through the humandrills without a problem meant that she could at least learn something from him. __Plus, I would be less than friendly too, if some stranger invaded my home.__

Glancing at the large vines that were slowly taking over the portcullis in the backyard, she went searching for tools. Finding only rusted items, she picked the one in the best condition- an old shovel- and started hacking at the vines. By the time she finished- hot, sweaty, covered in scratches and blisters on her hands- she felt better about her situation.

 _ _It's not much, but I'm working my way back to my family,__ she thought with a smile. __And I'll work as long and as hard as I have to, to get there.__

The next few days seemed to blur together for her. Ashley continued to work around the house, and didn't see Mr. Bighead once, which she could admit was kind of nice. She did note that the extra servings of her meals that she made and put into the fridge were gone, so she could at least say that she was keeping up her end of their strange agreement.

She also started adding in workouts to her daily routine. It started mostly as stretches to prevent injuries, or to help with the soreness she felt after hours of landscaping, but soon evolved. Heavy discarded items became weights, ropes were used with pulleys for a rowing exercise.

Staying awake in the evenings became more difficult, as she exhausted herself during the day. Back home, she had had multiple dance and karate classes, as well as regular gym workouts, but she had never used her muscles as she was now. Feeling out of shape was new and embarrassing feeling.

Of course, that embarrassment paled compared to the following day, when Mr. Bighead showed up during a workout and __corrected__ her form. She desperately wanted to tell him off, but he looked as if he was expecting that, and stopped herself just in time. She wouldn't let him bother her, if it was the last thing she did.

Overall, Ashley quickly adjusted to her new life, spending her time as she pleased, and hardly seeing her new roommate. As long as she did the daily tasks, he found no reason to complain about her activities. She noted on several occasions that she had no idea what __he__ did with his time, but he would never tell her. In fact, the only times they seemed to speak, was when he corrected her on something.

One night, after she cleaned up after dinner and started toward her room, she stopped in front of a familiar door, one that she hadn't looked in since her first night in the house.

Opening the door again, and lighting the space, she simply looked around in awe. Walking slowly around the room, she took in all of the different weapons. There were swords of all shapes and sizes, as well as a few axes, and some daggers that were hanging like trophies on the walls.

None of the weapons were pristine, in fact all looked like they were used, though well cared for. After examining each one, Ashley reached for a smaller curved blade that looked like a movie version of a pirate sword. Grinning, she said, "Aargh, ye landlubbers! Make way for Captain Ash!" and began an imaginary duel.

* * *

He watched from the hallway as she picked up the small sword. __This girl has some sort of death wish__ , he thought, but paid closer attention anyway. It seemed she had a small amount of skill, but she was doing everything wrong. Her posture, her grip, her swing, even her thrusting was pathetic. __Was she self taught?__ He noticed how she would incorporate her non-sword hand, and even kicks to her movements, and he wanted to either face palm, or demand that she stop.

There was one thing, however, that made him continue to watch. Her __face.__ Her eyes had a glint that he had yet to see during the weeks since she had arrived. She was smiling, thoroughly enjoying this; this solitary moment between her, and her sword. He looked a moment more, then silently exited the hallway and went to his room. __The journey would be incredibly long__ , he mused, __but she has taken the first step. Now the real work can begin.__

* * *

With a huge bang, the bedroom door flew open, and Ashley immediately jumped up, into a crouched position on top of the blankets, ready to fight whatever was attacking. Her eyes fell on the doorway, where Mr. Bighead was standing with his arms crossed. __Did he really just…__

"Did you seriously just __kick__ my door in? What is your problem?!" she yelled.

"My problem, as you call it, is that your work here is unsatisfactory. Therefore, in order to have you leave as soon as possible, it is apparent that I must assist you in your attempt to survive. Starting today, you will train in addition to your other duties." She gaped at him as he continued. "You have much to learn, and it will take time, years even."

"Listen here, I don't know who you think you are…"

"Not that it matters," he interrupted, "but I have many titles. Swordsman, Warlord, Hawkeye… but you can call me Master for now."

 _ _Did his head just expand?__ she thought. __And what did he mean start training. He knows I have been working myself into the ground.__ She tried to speak, but her anger just caused her to sputter.

"Hmm…you must learn to not wear your emotions so that your enemy may so easily read them." He continued, "answer me this then, do you wish to leave this island?"

"You know I do." she answered through gritted teeth, trying to figure out his game.

"And do you want to be able to protect yourself, and your family as you search for your homeland?" he asked.

That gave her pause, __so he had been listening that day I poured out all my troubles…__ but really, the only answer to this was, "Yes."

"Then you will follow my instructions without question or complaint, and perhaps someday in the future, you will be __able__ to do so." He practically growled the last part, and she could see that this was not something he wanted to do. __So, why was he? Was it as he said, he simply wanted me gone?__

"Why?" Such a loaded question. There were so many answers that she needed. __Why was he doing this? Why had he let me stay in the first place? Why not just leave me to my fate?__

"That is irrelevant," he answered, still facing away from her. "Just know that I do __not__ give second chances, Ashley."

"Wait, you know my name?" He looked over his shoulder with a scowl. __Right, irrelevant__. "Fine, so you know my name. And yours is?" she asked.

"Dracule Mihawk. Now get dressed, you are wasting time." He started to walk away again, but she wasn't able to let him go before giving gratitude. He didn't have to help, yet he was.

"Thank you, Master Mihawk," she said, and he stopped. "You are obviously able to defend yourself against the humandrills, and who knows what else, so for now I will swallow my pride and learn." With that done, she moved toward her closet. She needed to find something that wasn't as baggy as what she had been wearing lately.

"We shall see," he replied as he finally walked away. Ashley wondered what he had in store, but if the wicked sounding tone of his voice just now was any indication, she was in for a grueling day.

"Perfect," she muttered with a sigh.


	6. Chapter 6: Kia in the Cold

__I was__ literally __flying though the air. There were so many things that I thought I was missing out on back home, and this was definitely one of them! I would travel this way all the time if I could! True, not being able to move while flying did put a slight damper on the experience, and not knowing where I was going to land was also not very fun… but otherwise, awesome!__

A few hours later, the novelty had worn off, and Kiana decided to take a nap. She awoke later when as her body began to angle downward and she looked to see that she was approaching an island. That was the good news. The bad news was that everything was white, as in snow. Snow can be a good thing, but not now, and not to her. Snow meant cold, and Kiana wasn't tolerant of cold on a good day, let alone when dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and life jacket.

As she continued to sail closer to the island, she realized that it looked familiar in some way, though she didn't immediately figure out why. Obviously, she hadn't been here before, so it had to have been in One Piece at some point. A light bulb came on as she realized she would never be able to remember __everything__ that she knew about the One Piece world.

 _ _I mean, I knew I was obsessed with it, but only with specific people! And who knows if those people would even be as I expected! Look at Kuma,__ _ _for example. He was__ _ _different__ _ _than I had expected, and that smirk he gave me was totally out of left field, based on what I knew of him,__ she thought.

Growing ever closer to the island, but she wasn't descending as much as she thought at first. __Perhaps I was going to fly__ _ _on past this island, which would be great, honestly!__ She was now close enough that she could see villages spread out through the snow that blanketed everything. __Okay, that's a pretty cool view, I must admit__.

Then of course, when she looked up, she saw she was heading right for the mountainside. She yelled loudly for help, but no one even looked up. Landing in a large bank of snow… right on the edge of a cliff, she could not decide whether she had good luck or bad.

Kiana was sprawled on her stomach in the snow, and when she opened her eyes, she screamed as she could only see the large drop in front of her. She scooted away from the edge as quickly as felt safe, and just laid there panting. The cold hit her then, and she started shivering, as the cold seeped through her clothing down to her bones. If she didn't get moving and find warmth, she would soon be in BIG trouble.

She stood up slowly, rubbing her hands rapidly over her limbs in an attempt to warm them, and finally sticking her hands in under her armpits. She had heard somewhere that it was one of the warmest places on the human body, and while it seemed gross, she did not want to get frostbite. __Losing fingers is not acceptable,__ she thought firmly.

She looked around and saw some type of huge castle-looking building about a mile away, so she took off walking in that direction. It was slow going, as she was so cold she wanted to just keel over, as well as trying to walk in knee deep snow with canvas sneakers on. Everything and everywhere was becoming numb, and when her eyelids started to droop, she began singing loudly to keep her mind awake.

She looked at her feet, concentrating on each step as she sang choruses of songs and commercial jingles, all while struggling to breathe in the frigid, thin air. Hearing a sound, she looked up, but couldn't focus enough to see who it was. It was definitely a person though, and she thought, __I'm saved!__ and fell, rolling faster and faster through the snow, and everything went dark.

* * *

Kiana groaned as she became aware, and instantly started into a coughing fit that went on so long, she thought she may have lost a lung. As she was able to breathe again, she noticed a young man in front of her holding out a cup. She stared nervously, mainly because she didn't know him, but also because she had no idea where she was, or how she had gotten there.

"Drink some water, it will help ease your throat," he said, lifting her hand to grasp the cup, and then let it go once she had it.

"Th-ack," she began in gratitude, but started coughing again before she could finish the thought.

"Don't try to speak, you'll only aggravate your throat," he frowned at her as if disappointed in her. She nodded in thanks and sipped slowly at the water. Shivering, she realized that though she was much warmer than before, she was still chilled. She set the cup down on the bedside table and reached to pull the blanket in her lap back up around her. Seeing a sleeve covering her arm where there previously hadn't been one, she froze, then glared accusingly at her would-be rescuer.

"Oh!" He blushed as he realized why she was glaring. "No, I didn't, I mean I wouldn't! My neighbor, Judith, she helped you get into dry clothes, I swear it!" A sweat drop rolled down the side of his face as he tried to reassure her.

Mollified, Kiana nodded, and pulled the blanket up to her neck, though she couldn't quite get rid of her suspicious glare.

"I'm sorry," he added, hanging his head. "I'm trying to find a doctor, but I've been unsuccessful so far. There are so few left, and I know the king won't help." He brought his hand to his face and started massaging his temples. "I won't give up, but I'm hoping that perhaps between Judith and myself we can get you what you need to be well."

Her stony glare melted at his words, because it seemed he really was trying to help. She could feel the ache in her throat and knew that she probably was coming down with something. However, she was also sure she could live through it without a doctor. Her eyes drooped, and she nodded, unsure of why, and nestled back down onto the pillow, making a cocoon of sorts out of the blankets. He continued to speak , but she couldn't make out the words as she fell deeply asleep.

* * *

Waking, Kia looked around, but found herself alone, though she noticed there was a fire burning strong in the fireplace in the corner of the room. She still didn't feel well, but was no longer freezing, and felt she needed to at least thank her rescuer. She was certain she would have died, and felt guilty that she hadn't been more grateful at the time.

After looking all through the small cottage, she could find no trace of him, nor anyone else. So, she retreated back to the warmth of the bedroom, and climbed back into bed, deciding to stay awake until he returned. She reclined back against the headboard, deep in thought. She thought she was both lucky and unlucky in having the knowledge that she did. She could make some decisions that would hopefully let her avoid any serious injury or trouble, however, she could also inadvertently change the course of history, leading to some unspeakable tragedy.

Kiana wasn't known for being a doom and gloom type of person, but all she could think of was how badly she could mess things up for everyone here. __My sisters may do the same__ , she thought, __but they would have no knowledge that they were doing so.__

She smirked as she thought of meeting Luffy and the others. __If this was some sort of dream, I'd be the first in line to sign up as a Straw Hat__ _ _Pirate,__ she thought. But, no matter how crazy as everything was, she knew it wasn't a dream and her sense of responsibility demanded that she couldn't do whatever she wanted. There may not be a happy ending here for her family, so they would have to make their own. __My sisters would do all they could to be prepared for whatever we would face, and I would have to do the same,__ she decided.

She heard a door open and close, and footsteps coming towards her, and a small woman peered into the room, before she smiled and spoke.

"You're awake, that's a relief," she stated. "Zachary told me that you had woken earlier, but after all this time, I assumed you were merely delirious."

"A-A-All…" Kia tried to speak, though it came out as a croak. She tried clearing her throat, with limited success. She ended up whispering, as that was all she was capable of. " _All this time?"_ she asked.

"Well yes," the woman answered. "Now don't you go straining yourself," she added with a frown. She came closer and put the back of her hand to Kia's forehead. "You've been asleep for nearly two days. Though it seems to have done you some good, as your temperature is down."

Kia's wide eyes met her chocolate colored ones, reeling at the thought that the nap she had taken was actually more than thirty hours of sleep. " _ _Thank you,"__ she whispered, " _ _for taking care of me."__

"You're welcome, though I'll be honest, I only did because Zachary begged," she placed her hand aside her mouth as if whispering a secret, she said mischievously, "pretty pathetically I might add." She straightened herself upright and continued. "Now then, my name is Judith, I live next door. What about you dear?"

Looking at Judith, with her kind smile, her dark hair pulled away from her face, and her winter clothes, she reminded Kia a little of her mom whenever the family went camping.

" _ _Kiana,"__ she hoarsely replied _ _. "I got separated from my sisters and left here. I'm not sure where I am, or how I'll find__ …" breaking off, she looked away, because getting emotional would solve nothing, and she didn't want pity.

"Hmm, well that certainly explains things a bit." Judith sat on the bed at her side, and she straightened up at the serious look on her face. "You are currently in Robelli town, in the home of my neighbor, Zachary. He asked me to look in on you, as he went to try to find a doctor." She placed her hand on Kia's shoulder and leaned towards her. "I'm not sure if anything has happened, but he has been gone since yesterday, and I'm starting to worry."

" _ _What could happen?"__ Kia croaked out softly. " _ _Isn't the doctor nearby, in the town?"__ Judith's eyebrow cocked upwards as she scrutinized the girl in the bed.

"You are not from our island, are you Kiana?" Kia slowly shook her head no. "Ah, no wonder you almost froze to death," she said with a smile, and a hint of teasing in her voice. Her smile fell, and she continued on, "you see, our king has outlawed anyone practicing medicine except for the twenty doctors that serve him. In order to see one of them, we must go to the king, and beg for his assistance."

Without thought, Kia's mouth dropped slightly open. "Yes," Judith answered, thinking that the shock and horror was realization of what her words meant. "I'm afraid that Zachary may have gone to get help for you from the king, and since he hasn't returned yet, I worry that he will not return at all."

Kia's horror previously had been because she had finally understood why the island had looked so familiar, and now it was coupled with the thought that this stranger, Zachary, had brought himself harm for her sake. __I must have been in pretty bad shape for him to think that I needed a doctor so badly that he would need to put his own life at risk,__ she thought.

" _ _Oh no…"__ Kia whispered, closing her eyes tightly. __I was in Drum Kingdom, with King Wapol as the reigning monarch,__ she thought. __This__ _…_ _ _was bad.__

* * *

Dalton opened his eyes as he heard commotion on the other side of the door. The dungeon door slammed open, and he saw some of the soldiers dragging in a man who looked unconscious. They opened the cell next to his, and laid the man onto the floor, then turned, locking the cell behind them. One soldier left the room, but the other, a man he considered a friend turned back to him.

"Dalton, why do you insist on doing this?" he asked. "Simply apologize to the king, and you can come back to us. We need our commander back."

Dalton simply looked at his friend, then shook his head. It was the same story, every few days. He knew however, that nothing with Wapol was ever simple. Wapol would not forgive and forget. He would make Dalton pay for choosing to go against his decree, in small vindictive ways. True, he was in the dungeon but Wapol did not want him dead, so he was cared for. Dalton was well liked among the soldiers, as well as the best option for commander of the king's forces. Wapol was trying to break him, make him dependent on the king. That was something that Dalton could not live with, so he preferred to continue living in the dungeon.

The guard, rejected again, turned and left the dungeon, climbing back up the stairs from where he had come. Dalton stood up and went over to the bars that separated him from the new man. He did not recognize him, so he must not be a soldier. That meant he was most likely a civilian. The thought boiled the blood in his veins. The king, the man who was supposed to care and protect his subjects was the most cruel and hurtful of all in the kingdom. There was little he could do now, he would have to wait and hope that this man was not seriously injured. He wouldn't know for sure until he woke and could tell him. He settled down onto the floor by the bars and thought, this was something he was well versed in; waiting and hoping.

Dalton opened his eyes again as he heard the soft moaning; the man was beginning to stir. He sat and waited until he could tell that he was conscious before speaking to him.

"Hello, my friend, how do you feel?" he asked gently, so as not to startle the man.

"um… alright I think," came the reply after a moment. Dalton smiled, this was good news.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he asked. "Perhaps a drink?" While this man was undoubtedly accused of some great crime and would receive the bare minimum in food and water, Dalton was luckier that his men constantly snuck him extra rations and gave him clean water every day. This was the first time however that someone was placed in a nearby cell, and Dalton was eager to hear any news about the kingdom.

"Yes, please" his voice croaked out. Dalton grabbed his water skin, and reached it through the bars towards the prostrate man. He sat up slowly and took the water bag, though after several attempts, he was unable to open it. Dalton reached his hand out again for the water skin and after taking it, opened it and passed it back carefully. The man nodded gratefully, sipping at the water.

"Slowly, or you'll choke," Dalton said. A moment later, the man did exactly that, coughing and spluttering as he tried to regain his breath. He panted, and finally calming himself, looked up to meet Dalton's gaze.

"You are Dalton, the commander of the guard, aren't you?" he asked.

"Well, not the commander any longer but yes, I am Dalton," he replied. "the guards here were once my fellow soldiers, so they have been accommodating. They also really enjoy their canasta games."

 _ _That is not something I really needed to know…__ the man thought."Well," he replied. "My name is Zachary, and I am from Robelli town."

"Ah!" Dalton grinned as he realized he could get the information he sought. "And how are things in Robelli, and the kingdom? I've been here for quite some time now, I've been concerned."

"It hasn't changed much since you were imprisoned Dalton," Zachary began. "There are no doctors left on the island besides the king's twenty M.D.s. There is little to no hope left in the towns or the people. The king claims anything he desires as his own and if anyone were to object, they and their entire family are banned from any medical treatment for the rest of their lives."

"What?" Dalton gasped. He knew it was bad, but this was even worse than he thought. Wapol, the most heinous of rulers, had somehow become even more awful. It was hard to believe, yet he knew Zachary spoke the truth. "How can he do this?" he spoke to himself.

"He regularly tells us, that it is his right as the king." Zachary answered, as though the question was posed to him. "He doesn't care about us, and we know it. We simply try to do whatever he says and beg for any medical needs we may have… so that we can survive. For now, that is all we can do."

Dalton hung his head. His shame was greater than he could bear. That he had ever stood with this vile man, protecting him, __defending him!__ How could he ever atone for his actions?

"Dalton?" Zachary questioned, seeing his face. "Are you… alright?"

"No, not really, but it cannot be helped now." Dalton replied quietly. "So, Zachary, how then did you end up here?" Dalton listened as Zachary regaled him with his story, that sounded like a tall tale rather than fact. A young woman, appearing out of nowhere in the mountains, dressed as if she belonged on a summer island rather than a winter one? How he had gone to the king to beg for treatment for the girl, and been turned away as he had nothing to offer in exchange. How he had refused to leave, and finally been beaten and taken to the dungeon. That left only one question, "what happened to the girl then?" Dalton asked.

"I hope she is alright for now, my neighbor Judith said she would look in on her, help her if she could. I can only hope she will live."


	7. Chapter 7: Reese and the Blond

Having finished her deliveries for the day, Reese walked back into town. It was strange to think that it had only been a few weeks since arriving here, yet she was already feeling at home. C.C. kept her busy, just as she promised. Every morning she came to the restaurant with a day full of deliveries and other miscellaneous work to complete. Every evening she was in the restaurant, while Reese was helping Ririka with serving and cleaning.

Every few days Ririka or Reese would have the night off, so they would serve sandwiches- something even Reese was unable to mess up- when Ririka was off, and C.C. would chip in and help if needed when Reese was. It was a very simple system that worked well for all of them, and Reese became incredibly close with both women.

"Heya Reese!"

Turning toward the voice that interrupted her thoughts, she saw Corbin at his usual stand selling his apples. She bounded over quickly to say hello.

"Hey Corbin! Long time no see!" Reese replied with a huge smile. Corbin was another person that she couldn't help but befriend. Not only was he the first person she had met here, but he was such a kind old man that she couldn't have disliked him if she tried. "One apple my good man," she told him as she placed some beri on the stall.

"Sorry my dear," he answered as he reached under the stall and handed her an apple from his bag, having put it aside for her. "but your beri are no good here."

"Then consider it a tip, for the outstanding service!" she retorted. This was a ritual that they completed every time that he came back to town, and both enjoyed it. She stood there chatting with him for a few minutes, when she noticed someone's hand reaching for an apple.

Stepping to the side, so that Corbin could complete his sale, she saw that he had a scowl on his face. Reese turned back to the newcomer, and saw the back of a blond headed guy followed by two marines in uniform. Then she noticed that he was munching on an apple.

"Hey!" she yelled after the men, furious to see her friend stolen from.

"Hmm?" the blond and the marines with him stopped and turned to look at her. She tried not to snort as she took in his unfortunate bowl style haircut, wondering if it was because he lost a dare, or if he thought it actually looked good.

"You have to pay for that!" she scolded him as Corbin grabbed her arm and tried to shush her.

"It's fine Reese, don't make a scene," he said quietly. __Was he kidding?!__ she thought, looking incredulously at him. __No way was this jerk going to take advantage of my friend simply because he was walking around with some marines.__ She turned back to speak again, and immediately stepped back, as the man was very close and in her face, continuing to eat the apple, with the marines flanking him.

"Were you speaking to me?" he asked snidely.

"You bet I was!" she sneered back. "Even if you have the marines with you, it doesn't make it alright to steal from others!"

"Steal? Me?" He asked innocently with a hint of malice behind it. "I wouldn't say such things when you obviously don't know who I am." He turned to Corbin, asking, "Did I steal from you old man?" while taking another bite of the apple.

"N-no, please enjoy an apple as my gift." Corbin answered, and Reese turned to gape at him. __He was letting this jerkwad get away with stealing from him?__

"Ah, you see?" the guy turned back with a smug expression. "You should watch your pretty little mouth, or you and your… friends… will regret it." He laughed, and she gave him such a look of disgust and anger that he seemed to enjoy it. "Yes, you wouldn't want to upset me, you wouldn't like the consequences." With a final parting shot, "See you around, sweetheart!" the three of them turned and continued on their way.

Reese whipped around, crossing her arms, and glared at Corbin. He smiled back sheepishly, and then took on a stern look and glared back at her.

"How could you just give in to him like that?" she demanded.

Corbin shook his head and said, "You don't understand Reese, there's a delicate balance that we must maintain here so that we can keep the town safe."

"You're right, I don't understand!" she retorted, and before giving him a chance to explain, turned away and stalked over to the restaurant and went inside.

Reese stalked to the back of the room and over to C.C.'s table. She wasn't there but her paperwork was, so she obviously would return. Reese needed someone to explain what that whole scene had been about, but she was too angry to let Corbin try before. It didn't take much to let her temper get hot when someone was picked on, and she tried to reign it in quickly before she lost it. She would have to apologize to Corbin later.

After a few minutes of sitting and waiting, she began to calm down and soon C.C. returned to the table. She looked at Reese and raised her eyebrow in question. Reese took a few deep breaths before looking up at her. She smirked and Reese could tell she was amused, but when she didn't smile back, she became serious and sat down opposite of her employee and friend.

"C.C." Reese began, "I need you to help me understand what just happened outside." Ririka walked over and listened as she explained what had gone on at Corbin's apple stand, and how upset and angry it made her. "Why did Corbin give in?" she asked when she finished. "Who was that blond moron?"

C.C. and Ririka glanced at each other, and without a word Ririka left and returned with a drink that she placed in front of Reese. She sat down and gave C.C. a nod. Reese waited patiently sipping at the juice she had been given. __I have a feeling that I won't like what they are going to tell me,__ she thought.

"It's not something we're proud of Reese," Ririka said quietly. "But we decided awhile ago that we couldn't afford to fight back. We assumed that if we made the captain look good, he would get promoted and would leave our island for good." She kept her eyes downcast.

"He is the son of Captain Morgan, the leader of the marine base here on the island." C.C. added, also keeping her voice soft. "He is a coward and a bully, but with the might of his father as the threat behind him, we let him do as he pleases. Because if we do not, it brings the captain's wrath down on all of us."

"The marine captain punishes the townspeople for not giving his son whatever he wants?" Reese demanded, outraged on behalf of her temporary home.

"Not exactly," C.C. replied. "He is… a little unstable," she said in a lower tone of voice so that only Reese and Ririka could hear her. "He sees traitors everywhere and takes every opportunity to punish us. We couldn't care less about his son, he is a minor nuisance. We really want to be rid of the captain."

"He's that bad?" Reese asked quietly.

"Worse," Ririka answered. "Even the marines are afraid of him."

"Well, that explains the two following that creep around," Reese said. "This whole thing stinks!" she yelled suddenly.

"Yes, it does." Ririka said, as she and C.C. both looked away. "But it will not last forever. We're simply enduring it for now."

There was a quiet pause before the door to the restaurant slammed open, and the blond they were just speaking of walked in with his escorts. He looked around with a look Reese couldn't decipher, but realized that she also didn't care. He was rude and obnoxious, and she just wanted to ignore him.

Since it was technically her night off, she stood and followed Ririka back toward the bar and sat on a stool next to Rika, Ririka's daughter. Deciding she may as well have dinner while she was there, rather than coming back later, she struck up a conversation with Rika, knowing the child would help her feel better.

"What are you up to Rika?" Reese asked her.

She looked up from her paper and smiled. "Hi Reese! I'm glad you're back! Do you want to draw with me?"

Reese tried not to grit her teeth, hearing the blond moron making some sort of commotion behind her. She shifted to look down at Rika's paper instead. "What's that?" she asked, pointing. "It looks like a horse flying over a rainbow?" __She has a natural talent__ , Reese thought proudly, thinking of her sister.

Rika's face took on an even bigger smile at the question. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "It's a horse with wings that can fly anywhere. One day, I'll find one and going flying all over the sky!" she raised her left fist in the air to emphasize her excitement.

Reese chuckled at her exuberance. "Did you know that there is a name for a flying horse?" she asked Rika.

"There is?" Her eyes went wide and her mouth gaped open.

"Yep," Reese answered. "It's called a Pegasus."

"Pegasus…" the girl looked thoughtful, and then grinned. "That's awesome!"

"Pegasus, how ridiculous." The girls turned around, and saw the blond guy right behind them with a sneer on his face. "There is no such thing."

Reese gave him a dirty look, noticing that his friends were sitting at a table several feet away, and talking to each other, ignoring everything else. __I guess I wasn't the only one trying to ignore him,__ she thought. "You shouldn't tell stories to little kids, they'll believe anything," he added.

"I wasn't telling a story," Reese replied, and turned back around to face the counter with Rika following suit. "So Rika," she asked, "What else should we draw?"

"Um…" The kid glanced between her friend and the blond man, seeing he was starting to look red in the face. "whatever you want, Reese."

"Okay," Reese nodded. "But… I think I need an idea or two to choose from." She smiled and nudged her shoulder, keeping her attention away from the moron.

Rika giggled. "I've got plenty of ideas!"

"Phew, I was worried I wouldn't be able to think of anything to dr-"

"Hey! Don't you ignore me!" Reese turned to look at the blond, glaring at him for interrupting. His face red, he glared back and she was reminded of Rika throwing a tantrum when she didn't get her way.

"Excuse me sir, we were just leaving," Reese said icily. "Come on Rika, let's go see what C.C. is up to."

"Okay Reese!" she replied. She jumped off her stool and took her hand, and they walked away. Rika may have thought that they were looking for C.C., but Reese was simply looking to get away from the moron. She glanced back and saw him stomp his foot, fuming at them.

* * *

The next day, Reese was still annoyed at the whole situation. C.C. gave her a delivery to make at the marine base, and though she tried to refuse, C.C. wouldn't take no for an answer. She was lectured a bit about keeping promises, and she realized she had no real excuse, she just didn't want to see the blond again, even by accident.

She walked through town with a large pack on her back, heading for the large white building on the outskirts of the town. C.C. would tell her about most deliveries, but was strangely silent about the marine ones. The couple of marines she had befriend also refused to talk about the deliveries, but that was because they were ordered not to look at them as well. Reese assumed then that it was something that C.C. was embarrassed about, and given the conversation the day before, it was most likely money that the marine captain demanded from the townspeople as taxes or some such thing.

As she came to the gate of the base she smiled, happy to see her friend Greg standing guard. She gave a small wave, and walked up to talk with him.

"Hey Greg, nice day, huh?" she asked.

He smiled and replied, "Hello Reese. It sure is." It had taken over two months to get him to finally call her by my name, and she smiled again as she heard it. "Another delivery?" he asked me.

"Yep. Do you get to see me for any other reason?" she teased.

"One of these days I figure you'll come to finally join us," he teased back. He was the only marine she had told about her future plans, but he was also the one that told her to hold off on joining yet. There were reasons that he refused tell her directly, saying his captain would see it as treason, but he warned her away all the same. He was one of the few people on the island that she actually trusted.

"Sorry, not today," she said as she grinned back at him, taking off the pack and handing it over to Greg. "Maybe next time."

"Ah well, can't blame me for trying," he smirked as they enjoyed their little joke.

"So when are you coming into town next?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "I still owe you dinner at the restaurant like I promised."

"And I told you that you don't owe me anything," he replied.

"I say I do," she argued.

"Fine, fine. I know when I'm beat." He put his hands up in mock surrender. "I can make it, hmm, three days from now, will that work?"

"I'll plan on it," she smiled again, and turning, waved goodbye. "See you then!"

"Until then," he answered, waving back.

* * *

Marine Recruit Greg picked up the pack that Reese had left at his feet, and began to walk it into the base. He called to his fellow guard and asked that he watch both posts for a few minutes. Greg whistled under his breath as he hefted the bag on his shoulder.

"That Reese is quite pretty, isn't she?" a voice asked.

"She sure is," he answered before he realized he was speaking. He stopped and turned to the source of the voice, and saw Captain Morgan's son, Helmeppo. His good mood vanished as he saw the look on the kid's face.

"It's fairly simple," Helmeppo said with a smirk, his arms crossed over his chest. "You speak to her again, and I tell my Daddy about your traitorous actions."

Greg's face showed no emotion, but Helmeppo could see the fear in his eyes. It had been a gamble to bluff like that, but based on the fear he saw, the marine had done __something.__ He didn't need to know the specifics, he just needed the man to __think__ he did. His smirk grew as he looked at Greg.

"I think we understand each other, yes?" Helmeppo asked. "I'd hate for Reese to see you being executed."

"I understand," Greg responded quietly. He had been wracking his brain to think of a way out of this trap, but he couldn't put his or Reese's life in jeopardy. It would be easy to avoid Reese in the future. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and continued to walk into the base, dejected. He no longer felt like whistling.


	8. Chapter 8: Dru Squares off with Sabo

Dru walked slowly to the training yard, wondering if she would ever be able to get past the current lesson. Everyday for the past two weeks she had been working on dodging, and though it was and essential lesson, she felt like there was much more to learn. __If I'm being honest with myself, I am simply frustrated__ , she thought.

Koala was usually the one to work each day with Dru, but she was currently on some sort of mission, so Dru was now working with Hack, and she was having a hard time. Koala would explain why the lessons were important, but Hack simply said, "Avoid being hit," and here they were two weeks later, still working on it.

Dru looked up as she reached the training area, and seeing Hack, decided to ask for something new.

"Morning Hack," she said, smiling.

"Dru," he said with a slight bow and head nod.

"I'm excited for a NEW lesson today,"she stressed. __Emphasis on new,__ she thought with desperation.

"Prepare yourself," he stated as he got into position. "Avoid being hit."

Dru groaned, dejected. __This was getting ridiculous.__

"Hack…" She began, though was cut off as she dodged an incoming foot sweep that would have knocked her down. It took all her concentration to avoid his attacks, but she continued to try to speak. "Can't… we… try… something… oof… different?" she managed in between movements. He didn't respond, just continued to attack, and she growled in annoyance under her breath.

There were several breaks throughout the day, but the pair worked only on dodging attacks. Dru began to be pleased, noticing that he was trying with earnest to land a hit, and she was still able to dodge. As the time for the end of training drew near, she felt confidant enough that she went in for an attack as well.

Hearing some sort of commotion, but focused enough to block the noise out, she went in for an attack. Hack however, was distracted and instead of a light grab, he ended up being tackled to the ground, Dru falling over after him as she overcompensated for her hit striking its mark.

Hearing laughter, and being pulled to her feet, Dru gazed up to see her friend, and grinned. "Koala!" she shouted happily. "You're back! I missed you!" Dru threw her arms around the other girl in a hug, though quickly released her to turn back to Hack with a bow. "Not that I haven't been enjoying our lessons, Hack."

Koala and Hack both laughed now, as she gave him a hand to stand as well.

"I'm sure you were Dru," Koala said. "You lasted longer than I did anyway. I attacked him after the first day of training," she reminisced.

"Yes, you were a little more eager back then," Hack added. "But you've learned much more discipline since."

"Wait a second," Dru interjected. "This was some sort of test?" She was shocked, then paused in worry. "Did I pass?" she asked hesitantly.

Hack smiled and gave a bow. "It was not that kind of test," he stated. "Merely to see how long you will follow directions even when you do not agree with them, as well as __if__ you will take matters into your own hands." He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Good tackle" he added with a squeeze of his hand, and walked off, saying, "I need to report in," over his shoulder as he left.

Dru turned back to Koala with a grin, about to ask about her travels when she saw that Sabo was almost upon them, and speaking to Koala. He came up and spoke to her for a minute before nodding and turning around to leave. Annoyed, Dru called out to him, "Nice to see you too, Sabo!" seeing him turn and frown, then turned back and leaving without another word.

All other questions were forgotten as she turned to Koala and asked, "What is his problem with me?"

"Oh, don't let him bother you Dru," Koala answered with a wave of her hand. "He is just too serious sometimes."

"Koala, that's not true and you know it," Dru crossed her arms and looked at her friend. " Around everyone else, he smiles, and jokes. He knows everyone's name, greets them, talks to anyone!" she paused before adding, "except me," quietly.

Koala's face fell, and Dru could see she was trying to decide what to say, but Dru wasn't in the mood for excuses, especially since she had gotten the feeling that Sabo didn't want her there. Something was up, and the past two weeks without Koala had given her the opportunity to observe Sabo's interactions with others. He treated her differently than literally everyone else on the island.

"Dru, don't let it bother you," she said. "It's nothing, really."

"I thought we were friends Koala," Dru replied, and turned, walking back to her room. __I don't like giving a guilt trip, but she knows what the problem is, and I couldn't fix it if I didn't know what it was.__ Normally, she would have figured it was his loss, and let it go. But Sabo was not only Koala's best friend, but also the chief of staff. With Dru being a part of them, she knew they needed to get along.

When she got to her room, she finally noticed that Koala had been following her. She continued to follow her into the room, and shut the door behind her.

"Look Dru," she began. "It really is nothing personal. He just needs some time to get over it." she said vaguely. Dru raised a brow in question and she continued. "I keep telling him," as if she was talking to herself now "if Dragon trusts you, and I trust you, he should too."

"But he doesn't," Dru said, understanding dawning. "So, he thinks I'm here to… what? Destroy everything?"

She giggled, "Not quite so dramatically, but yes. He thinks there is a possibility that you are a spy… for the government."

"But… why?" she asked completely shocked. This was not one of the scenarios that she had previously come up with.

"Well," she turned thoughtful "he doesn't know you like we do, and apparently he thinks you act pretty suspiciously." Koala was serious as she added, "We didn't tell him any specifics that you shared with us, and he can pretty protective of those he considers family."

"I can understand that." __I'm not sure how to take this new information. True, he didn't know me like Koala and Dragon did, but that was no excuse to treat me like I didn't exist.__ "Why doesn't he simply try to get to know me then?" she asked.

"He's my friend Dru," Koala said with a sheepish look. "I can't tell you all his secrets. I only told you that because I don't want to take it personally. He'll get over it, I promise!"

"Okay," Dru said skeptically. "Thanks Koala."

"Yeah," she said. They both collapsed onto the bed, then turned to grin at each other.

"So, tell me what you can about your trip!" Dru said, switching gears. Koala lit up and started talking about her recent adventures. Dru focused on her words, knowing that she would have time later to decide what to do about Sabo.

* * *

For Dru, the next few days passed in a relative blur. She was back to training with Koala, but they had started working on defensive and offensive moves for hand to hand combat. She was happy to find that she was better than she had believed, perhaps due to all the wrestling the sisters had engaged in when they were younger. __I may be nice, but I'm still a Cooper and Coopers do not let others walk all over them,__ she thought.

As the oldest, she would have to constantly prove her dominance, though she had used her mind in recent years, more than physicality.

These thoughts led Dru to finally deciding how she wanted to deal with Sabo. It could go either way, making him angry or showing him how ridiculous he was being, but she felt it would be worth it. If he wanted a spy, then she would show him exactly what he wanted.

"Um, Dru?"

"Yes?" Dru replied, blinking a bit to focus on her friend that was suddenly right in front of her.

"You had this sinister looking smile on your face," she said, her eyebrow arching in question.

"Did I?" Dru asked with a smile, wiggling her eyebrows to make her friend laugh, and Koala didn't disappoint her.

"Should I even ask?" she asked as she laughed.

"Probably not," came the answer.

* * *

The following day began "Operation Mess with Sabo". Dru knew she didn't want to actually aggravate the situation, she just wanted to show him how ridiculous the whole thing actually was. So she decided to do everything she could to look suspicious, while exaggerating to the fullest. Hopefully, it would at least get him to pause and think, and perhaps start a conversation with her. __Or, you know, totally mess with his head,__ she thought.

Leaving her room that morning, she looked in all possible directions before sneaking down to the bathroom. After that, she stealthily made her way to the kitchen and said good morning to the chefs. She didn't do anything different from her daily schedule, just added some odd behavior.

The humor of the situation helped her to continue, even when she normally would have confronted him to get it over with. Her actions did not go unnoticed, and she soon had several people asking what she was doing. She grinned and would reply that she was playing a game, and asked that they pretend that she was acting normally if anyone were to question them about it.

It seemed ridiculous, even to Dru, that she was doing this, but she felt she had given Sabo more than enough time and reason to just come and question her himself.

Ever since she had joined these people, she had spent time each day getting to know a new person. She was never dishonest with anyone, in fact telling several people who had asked that she would gladly share about herself, and in return she asked that they not share with others, but direct anyone who asked about her to come and ask her for themselves. Most agreed without a problem, and only once did she need to explain about trying to get the chief of staff to speak to her directly.

After only one day, Koala caught on to what she was doing, and found the whole thing absurd. But truth be told, she was enjoying acting like a fool and seeing smiles among her new comrades due to her silly behavior.

Four days in, Dru walked into the mess hall for dinner, and noticed that Sabo was sitting at their table, across from Koala in what appeared to be an intense discussion. She hummed thoughtfully, then went to the food line- getting a plate for herself, and one for each of them. She felt oddly pleased that she brought it all to the table without spilling, and spoke as she came up to them.

"Do you need more time? I can go back for drinks," she said, placing the plates of food down in front of them.

They both looked up somewhat surprised, then looked down at the food. Koala smiled, and picked up her fork.

"This is great, thanks Dru," she said.

"Yes, thank you" Sabo added. "Please, join us."

"Don't mind if I do," Dru answered happily and sat down next to Koala. "It's nice to see you out and about Sabo, that doesn't seem to happen much," she commented. Seeing his eyes narrow slightly in response, Dru rolled her own, and turned slightly to Koala to start a conversation. Before she could, Sabo started talking.

"So, Dru" he began. "I'm sure you miss your home, back in…?" he left it hanging, obviously wanting her to fill in the blank.

"I came here from the South Blue," she answered. __Which, technically was true__.

"And your family must miss you, your parents…?"

"Dead," she said without feeling. She refused to talk about them to him. He had some sort of agenda, and she was wanting him to get to the point.

"Your siblings?" he asked.

"Somewhere, out there" she answered. "What about yours?"

"This isn't about me," he answered peering into her face. "This is about you."

"Oh, I get it," she countered, getting annoyed. "So you can protect your family, and your secrets but I can't?" She held up her hand to stop him from answering and continued on. "I was asked to join, by __your boss__ if I'm not mistaken. You don't trust me, that's fine. But DON'T act like I don't get the same freedoms as you do."

She stood up, and grabbed her plate to move somewhere else. Koala had her hand on her arm keeping her there while looking pleadingly at Sabo. He in turn, looked shocked but quickly collected himself.

"Please, sit down" he said quietly. Dru wasn't very happy about it, but she sat. She looked down at her food and decided to eat. "I…" He started speaking but stopped as if unsure what to say. "Dru," he said and she finally looked up to meet his eye- and they stayed there, trying to gauge the other.

Dru sighed, knowing she couldn't stay angry and set her fork down. "My three sisters and I were separated. I agreed with Dragon to join you in your endeavors until I am able to reunite with them. I would never do anything to jeopardize your people, one- because that is not the type of person I am, and two- because if I did, I would be trying to find my sisters alone and I would __not__ succeed." With her impromptu speech done, and no longer hungry, she grabbed her plate, and left.


	9. Chapter 9: Kia Discovers the Timeline

Taking another look in the closet where she kept her belongings, Kia wondered again what Judith had in store for the day, and if she was forgetting anything. Going through her short list in her mind, she checked them off as she got ready to leave.

 _ _Dress warm, check. Canteen of water and food for lunch, check. Pelt blanket we made last month, check.__

Kia wondered why she was bringing the ugly blanket. It was her first attempt at making one, and Judith had been extremely patient, but it still was not made well. She had definitely worked hard, and learned what not to do when making pelts into a warm winter blanket, and knew she would do much better on her next one.

Hearing a knock on the door, Kia stepped over to let Judith in.

"Now will you tell me what this is all about? she asked her friend with a smile. "The suspense is killing me!"

Judith smiled back. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now," she said.

"Well I have been sick," Kia complained.

"That was weeks ago!" Judith said, while shaking her head. "I'll give you a hint," she conceded. "It's how I make my living, remember? I told you about -"

"Oh!" Kia interrupted her, realization dawning. "We're going somewhere to sell the clothes and blankets you've made."

"Yes," she nodded. "and purchase more pelts in order to make more."

"Sounds fun!" Kia grinned. __I had been saying for a while now that I wanted to see more of the island, and now I can!__ "Where are we going?"

"A small town called Symdal. It's up into the mountains, and surrounded by woods which makes the hunting easier. There and back will take most of the day." She looked around and frowned, seeing nothing of Kia in the room. "Still not making yourself at home I see."

"I don't understand why I can't simply come live with you," Kia retorted. "It feels strange living in someone's home whom I hardly know," she explained again.

"He would want you to," Judith said. "Besides, I like my privacy!"

Kia smiled, though she let the subject drop, as it was a constant argument between the two of them. After hearing in town that Zachary was in prison, Judith had insisted that Kia stay and help to keep his home clean and ready for his return. She still felt like an intruder, and refused to use the bedroom, instead sleeping on the couch and using a small closet for her few possessions.

After Judith checked Kia's pack, they got onto her sled, and started off. Kia had seen her using this sled several times, and was excited to get to ride it. It reminded her of dog sleds back home, though the animals pulling hers were more like mountain goats.

Several hours later, Kia was happy to hear they had arrived at Symdal. It was a small, but very busy community. There were groups of sheep and goats, thick and woolly, being led in or out of the town. There were stalls in the center of town, which looked as if they were temporary, or could be broken down quickly. It was a new experience, and she kept looking everywhere trying to see everything at once.

The houses looked smaller, but cozy and there were streetlight lanterns down the main street. Everyone she saw was smiling and happy, and it was so contagious that she found herself smiling and greeting people as she followed Judith to a specific stall.

"Good day Erik," Judith called to a big and burly man in front of us.

"Miss Judith!" he boomed back. "Wondered when I would be seeing you!"

"Got a later start, due to bringing young Kiana here with me," she said with a nod at Kia, causing Kia to roll her eyes. __She's in her 30s, yet she acts like she's ancient,__ Kia thought with a laugh.

"Good day," Kia said politely to Erik.

"Good day to you as well, Miss Kiana," Erik gave a nod of his head. "How are you enjoying our small piece of the island?"

"It's great!" she said as she gave him a big smile. "Everyone is so happy!"

"We try miss," a new voice said from beside her, and Kia turned, seeing a younger version of Erik coming up next to her.

"My son, Lucas," Erik introduced. "Luc, this is Miss Kiana. She's here with Miss Judith."

"A pleasure, Miss Kiana." Lucas gave a small bow, and Kia noticed the axe he had strapped to his back, which gave her a mental image of a lumberjack. __He definitely has the beard for it,__ she thought.

"Nice to meet you," Kia replied. She turned to Erik, "there's no way you can have a son his age," she teased.

He laughed, "Thank you Miss Kiana, but I assure you I do." His cheeks pinked slightly in pleasure.

Lucas smiled at me, and turned to Erik as well. "I'm going out to cut more firewood for Widow Steegan, Father," he said. "I'll return shortly." Erik gave a nod, and Lucas turned to the ladies and said farewell, before walking off with several other men.

"Feel free to explore Kia," Judith said. "Bartering with Erik always takes some time because he is so stubborn!"

Kia laughed with both of them, and Erik came back with, "Me? You are the stubborn one!" So, smiling at the pair, she took her leave, and spent time walking all around the town meeting others, petting sheep, and just generally exploring.

Lucas' talk of firewood had Kia wishing they had such an abundance of trees nearby their own homes back in Robelli. Gathering firewood with Judith usually took half a day by the time they found a sufficiently wooded area, and carting the wood back. Realizing that with selling her wares Judith would have an empty sled on the way back, so smiling, Kia started gathering branches to take back with them. Here the trees were so close and plentiful, that she would be able to scavenge some off the forest floor without trouble.

It had finally stopped snowing, and she found the views so beautiful that she ended up walking further than she meant to, taking in the beauty of the scenery. There was no worry about getting lost, as she could follow her own footprints back to town, however when she couldn't carry a single branch more, she turned to head back. That was when she heard it.

It sounded like heavy breathing, and Kia's first thought was that she was being watched. She turned around in a slow circle, looking all around and getting more and more nervous as she couldn't find the source of the sound. As she focused harder on the noise, it sounded less __human__ to her, and more like an animal, with a slight growl on the exhale.

Her heart began to pound, and she looked around again, focusing in on the direction of the sound. Still unable to see anyone, she began to worry that they were hiding from her, which couldn't mean anything good. Turning back, she stopped as she noticed a strange looking tree.

Unwillingly, her body moved toward it, her mind trying to decipher what was so different about the tree from the others around it. Her mind was screaming for her to leave it alone, yet her feet kept taking her closer, wanting to uncover the mystery.

She stopped suddenly, frozen. That was not a tree. Trees… they do not have… fur. That was fur. Which meant…

Slowly looking up, she saw a huge face, its mouth slack, breathing heavily as it stared back at her. Her own mouth open in shock, she stared at it for a few moments until her brain shook off the stupor. And she let loose the biggest scream she had ever screamed, and started running for her very life.

The branches forgotten in her haste, she followed her footprints haphazardly, panting in both fear and the exertion of running. The giant thing behind her let out a screeching roar that scared her so badly that she fell forward into the snow. Fear helped push her back to her feet, knowing that any second could be her last.

As Symdal came into view, and she could see several people looking at her as she came out of the woods, she yelled "RUN!" at the top of her lungs. Waving frantically, she tried to get the message across as tears ran down her cheeks and she gulped in air.

Someone came forward in concern, trying to stop her and get information, but Kia just pushed and twisted to get free and keep moving. __Didn't they understand?! It was coming!__ her mind screamed. She could hear others gasping and then screams started from those nearest her moving in a wave of sound throughout the street.

The people all around were scattering and running. Kia helped someone to their feet, and they ran away in another direction before she could blink. Kia turned back in fear, knowing she couldn't outrun it again, and finally realizing what she had come across.

There, on top of its head… a pink hat with a white x. __It couldn't be… could it?__

"Chopper?" she whispered, understanding that she had led him here to the town The monster form of the reindeer/human doctor roared again, and continued towards her, ignoring the others running from them. Kia heard her name yelled out behind her, but only stood there as the huge hand came at her. Finally moving too late, she felt herself suddenly flying towards a house, then… nothing.

* * *

"Chopper? Can you hear me?" Chopper open his eyes slowly, unsure of what had happened, but he felt terrible. He could feel the cold pack on his forehead, and the bandages all over his body. He looked at Dr. Kureha in confusion.

"Doctorine?" he questioned.

"What can you remember?" she asked.

"I was experimenting with my rumble ball," he answered. "I recorded all the side effects of the second ball, and took a third, then… I can't remember anything. I must have fallen unconscious." He became unsure as he saw the look on her face. "What happened Doctorine?"

"The only way I can describe it," she said quietly "is to say that your devil fruit went wild." She looked at him, letting this news sink in before she had to tell him the rest.

"What… what did I do?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"The kingdom is in an uproar Chopper. I'm not sure what to tell them." She paused. "Symdal was almost completely wiped off the map, homes destroyed, people injured." She took in his horrified expression. "Mostly minimal injuries," she said.

Dr. Kureha sat on the side of the bed Chopper was laying in, sighing before continuing. "It's a lesson we doctors all must learn Chopper," she said. "We take lives in our hands every day, and we gamble as we learn new procedures and medicines. This however, went to a different level. Something that turns you against foes or friends, or even against your own self. It's… monstrous." She knew she was taking a gamble herself, using that word, but she __needed__ him to realize how dangerous it was. Not just to others, but to himself.

He looked up at her, tears freely falling down his face. "I'm so sorry Doctorine!" he cried. "I'll never do it again!"

The corner of her mouth quirked up before she said, "you just hurry and get better. There's plenty of chores that need to get done around here." She stood, and left the room, leaving Chopper to his thoughts.

A week later, Chopper finally finished every chore he could think of. He wanted to somehow make up for what had happened, and since Doctorine told him not to go anywhere near Symdal, he couldn't think of anything else.

"Chopper!" he heard her yell out, and he went quickly. "We are going out. I hear someone in Robelli town needs a doctor," she said when he came near.

"I'll get the sleigh," he responded and ran to do it.

They traveled a few hours and made it to Robelli town around mid day. Chopper followed Doctorine as she made her way through the town. He hadn't been able to figure out how she was able to not only find out when people were in need of her skills, but also to know where they were. It continued to amaze him. He hoped she would teach him that as well someday.

Doctorine walked up to a woman, asking if anyone needed to be treated. The woman looked relieved as she agreed and began walking them towards a house on the outskirts of the town. Once he saw their destination, Chopper went back to the sleigh and pulled it around the town to the little home. Still in his reindeer form, he decided to stay outside for now, but went to the door to hear what he could.

"I can see what ails her, but how did it happen?" he heard Doctorine ask.

"An animal, a… beast," the other woman said, sounding angry.

"These are not injuries from an animal," Kureha argued. "She has a severely broken leg, two broken ribs, cuts and bruises all over, and looks to be suffering from exhaustion. What. Happened."

"We were in Symdal last week," the younger woman explained. "She was caught in the attack that nearly destroyed the town. We did what we could for her, but the tea does nothing to help her pain, and she only sleeps like this once she passes out from exhaustion." Chopper could hear the emotion in her voice as she explained. He felt sick. __This girl, was hurt because… of him.__

He heard a gasp and a yelp, and realized the girl had been woken up due to pain. He could hear her panting, and felt so badly for her, and so glad that they were there to help her get better. He heard Doctorine ask her about her experience, wanting to know exactly how her injuries were sustained. He cringed as he heard the other woman explain what he had done to her.

"No!" the hurt girl yelled suddenly, "it wasn't like that Judith!"

"How can you say that, Kia?" the woman named Judith asked.

"Yes, I was scared. And, yes, I was hurt. But that doesn't make him a monster," he could hear how difficult it was for her to speak, and his eyes went wide as he comprehended her words.

"Of course it does!" Judith retorted.

"No, I could see… he didn't know what he was doing, so it wasn't his fault."

"I'm going to help," he heard Doctorine say. "but it will hurt. Your leg has started healing in the wrong position, and will need to be re-broken and re-set." She continued to explain to Kia how to take the medicine that she would leave once they were done, and gave her a painkiller.

"I don't know what I can pay you," Kia said quietly, straining to speak though she had no energy. "That closet there, has all my belongings. Take any or all of it."

The door opened, and Doctorine was ushering Judith out. "Go ahead, go home. She will sleep for quite awhile, and you can check on her later." Judith look relived, as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you doctor, thank you so much," she said. "But what will you accept as payment?" she asked.

"I'll work that out with her," she replied, and shooed her on her way. Then looking down at Chopper she asked, "did you hear it?" He hung his head and nodded. "Then," she said, "it's only right that you help to heal her." He looked at her, surprised and yet happy to be able to do something to make up for his mistake.

He followed her into the house, staying back as she gripped the girl's leg hard, making her scream and pass out. He took a moment to look at the girl on the couch, and felt his resolve strengthen, seeing her like this because of him.

They worked together with hardly any talk between them, breaking and setting her leg properly. He realized helping meant breaking her leg, and about made himself sick with the sound and feel of it, but he knew that was the only way to make her better. He cleaned up, and changed back to his reindeer form as Doctorine walked to a small closet, opened the door and pulled out an ugly, misshapen blanket. She shut the closet, and walked over to the front door.

"Let's go Chopper, we have our payment."

"How…" he paused, unsure, then continued, as they walked to the sleigh. "How did she know Doctorine? That I had lost control?"

She thought a moment before answering. "I'm not sure Chopper. Though, I hope this has taught you why experimenting without considering the consequences is foolish. Next time, you could do more than hurt someone."

"There won't be a next time, Doctorine."

* * *

Kia swung the crutches up out of the snow, and tapped them on the door frame to remove the excess snow before continuing on into the house. True, they were probably not built to be used outside but in the month since her doctor's visit, Judith had kept her bedridden, and Kia took any opportunity to get fresh air.

Not only that, but the medicine she was given had worked wonders as her body healed and she felt great. Dr. Kureha had not said anything about not getting her "cast" _ _-If that is actually what it was called-__ wet, and since the amazing Mr. Thomas from town had gifted her with crutches, she decided she was going to put them to use.

Today had been one lap around the house, and she determined that she would add another each day until she could get around without any problems. Dr. Kureha also hadn't given instructions as to how long this would be on her leg, and Kia figured the doctor would simply show up one day to get it off. She looked down at the cast again, running her hand over it. It looked simply like bandages, but had some sort of coating on it to make it hard as rock.

The next few days passed slowly for Kia. Judith had left last week for Symdal, saying she would be staying for several days to help with the rebuilding efforts. The king had not sent aid of any kind, so the people all banded together to help their neighbors. Since she had been stuck in bed, Kia had spent most of her time helping to make blankets, or anything that she could to send with her for the people. Now she had plenty of time, but not much to fill it.

The next afternoon as Kia was completing her laps around the house, she decided to take a trip over to Judith's as well, to give herself some new scenery. It was tough going through the freshly fallen snow, but as she neared her neighbor's house she could see the sled parked near the door, and she perked up.

It had been so lonely while she was gone, and Kia was excited to see her again. She also wanted to hear how things were going in Symdal, and of course tease Judith about Erik. Kia was certain Judith had budding feelings for the older widower.

Kia giggled as she remembered the look on Judith's face the first time she had mentioned it. Judith had practically fallen over in shock. Kia's giggles turned into laughter at the mental reenactment, and she stopped on the doorstep before knocking to get her breath back.

"Care to share the joke girlie?" a deep voice asked, and Kia whirled around as best she could on crutches. "I could use a good laugh! Zee'ah ha ha!" Her face paled, as she looked at him and those with him in horror. __It was the Blackbeard Pirates. What were they…?__

And then she remembered. King Wapol fled the island when pirates attacked it. When the __Blackbeard Pirates__ attacked the island.

She was scared, but she didn't want to show it. "Sorry, but it's a private joke" she said, crossing her arms and looking at them disdainfully. "Friends only," she added.

"Oh," Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard sounded disappointed, though he was still grinning. "That mean we ain't going to be friends? Not a very nice welcome."

"Kia? Is that you…?" Judith said as she opened the door, her words trailing off as she saw the group of men behind her friend.

Kia turned her head slightly and said, "Judith, get back inside."

Before she could respond, Blackbeard said "Not a good plan," and laughed as another pirate went towards her home with a torch. "You see we're having a bonfire! You don't want to get too close, or you might get burned!" He laughed as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

Judith and Kia were escorted away from the house, and they watched in horror as the pirates set her house on fire, and laughed. Perhaps it was the shock that kept the pair from moving at first, but after a moment they were both surging forward, trying to stop the blaze. Kia started scooping snow and throwing it on the flames, but it was futile. It quickly became an inferno, and the heat was so intense that Judith pulled her back.

"My crutches," Kia yelled to Judith, and once Judith released her, she surged forward towards the doorstep where they were dropped. The heat was too intense however, and she had to retreat again without them.

Looking back, and not seeing Judith, Kia turned, looking for her, hoping she didn't go near the house. Hearing the crack of a gunshot pierce the air, she whirled finding Judith clutching Blackbeard's shirt. Blood blossomed across the back of her shirt, and Blackbeard pushed her away. Judith fell over, and Kia screamed, rushing over to her.

Blackbeard and his men turned and walked away toward the main town as Kia reached Judith's collapsed form on the snow covered ground.

* * *

People were talking, but Kia couldn't hear them. All she could do was look at Judith… at Judith's body. It had taken this to learn that she was so woefully unprepared for any sort of emergency. Everything that she could have possibly used to help her friend had been in her house, which now was gone.

Kia didn't know how she had gotten Judith back to her own house, she had been too focused on keeping her awake. She used anything she could to stop the bleeding, applying pressure until her own limbs went numb, but Judith just slipped away.

Kia refused to let go, and eventually someone came and pried her away. That's when she finally broke down, shaking and crying inconsolably until she was spent, and then she could only sit and stare at nothing. There was talk about the king, the castle, pirates, and doctors but nothing that made sense to her mind.

She suddenly refocused as someone was snapping their fingers in front of her face. She looked up, seeing Dr. Kureha.

"There she is. See? Simply in shock," she said to someone else that Kia didn't recognize.

"Thank you doctor," he said before turning to a familiar looking man on his other side. "Dalton? This is the young woman I told you about." Kia stared as Dalton came closer, and crouched down to be on her level since she was sitting on the floor, though she didn't know how she got there.

"Hello there," he said quietly. "My name is Dalton. I'm so sorry, this should not have happened." He indeed looked sorry, as if he were somehow responsible.

"It's my fault," Kia said morosely.

"What?" the first man was suddenly outraged, though Dalton held out a hand to keep him quiet.

"How so?" Dalton asked her.

Kia swallowed, wanting to cry again but having no more tears to shed. "I was walking with my crutches, trying to increase my stamina," she explained. "The pirates saw me, and followed me to Judith's house." She hung her head in shame. "They were headed for town, but this happened because of me," she cried out, burying her face in her hands, body shaking with her dry sobs.

"This is all your fault!" the first man snapped, getting more upset, as he paced the room. "I never should have pulled you out of the snow!" At his words Kia, looked up and understood. __This was Zachary, Judith's neighbor and the owner of this house. No wonder he was angry, because of me he had spent the last several months in prison and now his friend was dead.__

Kia looked at him, devastated. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, and he gave her a look of such contempt that she had to look away as she broke down again.

* * *

Dalton looked at Kureha with gratitude as she poured him a cup of tea. It was just what he needed to warm up after the incredibly long day, trying to get the chaos of the kingdom calmed.

"I thought it best to let you know I'll be moving into the castle," Kureha said.

He was surprised, but not shocked. Kureha always liked to be away from people. "How will you get all your things up there?" he asked. "The ropeways were all damaged in the attack."

She cackled. "I have my ways, don't you worry," she said. "I'll still visit every now and then. I won't leave them without medical care."

He smiled to himself. She was a good person, though she wouldn't appreciate it if he said it out loud. So he changed the subject. "The woman in Robelli, she approached me about plans to protect the island," he said, and her eyebrow went up.

"Really?" she said. "Protection from…?"

"According to her, from the return of king Wapol," he stated, and smiled as she cackled again.

"I thought she was a smart one," she said. "It's nice to know not everyone is thinking we are safe."

"Indeed," he said. "However, it's very strange. She has no idea how she got here, no training either in defense or weapons. I'm not sure how she has even survived this long." He leaned in, "though, when asked she simply says that it is her dream to be able to help save others, that what happened to her friend will never happen again." He looked at her, perplexed. "I'm not sure how to help her achieve that" he admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'm surprised that I want to," he added.

"It sounds like you answered it already," she replied thoughtfully. "Train her in defense and weapons." She stated when he questioned her. He thought awhile, as was his way, before nodding.

"I'll do just that," he stated.


	10. Chapter 10: Ash's Frustrating Training

Ash slid to a stop, and just laid there, completely exhausted. Day after day for the past two months, Mihawk had whipped her into shape, a shape that was in his words, "somewhat acceptable". He usually checked on her once or twice throughout the day unless he was away from the island, but otherwise it was up to her to complete the daily regimen. Once, she had skipped the final rep of push ups, and somehow he had looked at her the following morning and KNEW. How, she doubted she would ever know, but that was the last time she didn't follow his directions to the letter.

Today, however, she had finally lost her patience, after getting no answers to when she would start learning swordplay, and she had demanded to receive new training. Mihawk looked at her with narrowed eyes, then said, "you have five minutes." She gave a questioning expression, and he clarified. "Five minutes in which to simply touch me. If you are able to, we will start your weapon training."

She told herself it was a trap that he was laying for her, yet felt this was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. He stood there, with his arms crossed over his chest, counting aloud every ten seconds.

"Four minutes thirty seconds," he said, and she started to move forward. He side stepped every move she made, with the most minimal movements himself. She pumped myself up, and stepped up her game, but continued to fall short.

"Three minutes."

Ash continued to strike out at him, missing with a jab, and turning, struck out with her back foot- missed again. __It was like he could anticipate my every move!__ she thought.

"One minute."

She systematically employed everything in her arsenal- rolls, cartwheels, leaps and even feinting to one side but attacking to the opposite. Nothing she did made any difference, and she was panting and sweating while he looked as if he wasn't even moving.

"Ten seconds."

 _ _Last ditch effort__ , she thought, and running forward, leaped into a flying tackle, determined to give it all.

He jumped. And she sailed right under him.

And so here she was, utterly exhausted and very humbled. He had defeated her without a single attack. Once she had her breath under control, she stood on shaky legs, bowed to him and asked, "back to training then, Master?" He smirked in reply, and continued where they had left off before, with Ash being much more attentive this time.

* * *

Mihawk was frustrated. In the beginning, Ashley proved to be adept at following directions, and he could see the progress she made the last few weeks as she became stronger and swifter under his tutelage. Since that day two months ago when he had demonstrated her speed in comparison to his own, she pushed herself even further. She was now able to avoid most of his general attacks, and was stronger than about half of the humandrills.

The frustrating thing however, she was unwilling to attack offensively. She was consistently on the defensive, and never utilizing openings given by her opponents. Her goal- being able to defend her family and keep them safe. No matter how he argued with her about it, her only response was that she needed only to defend, that she had no need to attack others.

It was maddening, and he was ready to simply end their training. If she was unwilling to listen to him, to follow his directions in all things, than he had no use for her. On the other hand, he refused to FAIL. He still had a trick or two up his sleeve, and he would use them.

She was surprised when he announced that she would be accompanying him off the island. He stated, that against the dangers that existed on the Grand Line, she would need to utilize all her skill, and he would show her that attacking offensively could mean the difference between safety or death for those she traveled with. She nodded, though he could tell that she was dubious. His training on keeping her emotions from showing was working however, as anyone else would have only seen her as agreeing with him.

He had her row the small boat, knowing it would be difficult, but she did so without complaint. He could have generated waves to push them along easily, but didn't. __That would mean attacking the water__ … he smirked at the thought, __and we can't have that.__

If this didn't work, then his last effort would be to take her to Red-Hair. The stories of pirates he could tell may change her mind, but he doubted it. However, Beckman was a good resource for logic to convince her, and if all else failed, he would simply leave her with Red-Hair and return home alone.

After days of travel, he tried to broach the subject again, but found himself ready to tear his hair out.

"You cannot simply defend, there are instances where attacking will mean saving those you care about or travel with," he started again. "I will not teach you another thing until you explain this!" he snapped, his patience gone.

"I don't know if I can, Master" she said, looking at the oar in her hands. "I simply believe that I can beat others without causing harm, and by so doing, protect others. I don't want to kill anyone."

He paused, as he heard this for it was news to him. __Not kill anyone? Was she naive? This was the Grand Line, and everyone here would kill her in an instant if needed, and others would kill her for fun__.

"You are being foolish" he stated, finally seeing the problem for what it was. "Some may deserve the mercy you wish to show, however others will use that against you, and you will be defeated."

"Yes, Master" she said, returning to her rowing. He sneered at her back, knowing that she didn't agree with him, she simply wanted to end the argument. Which also meant, she would continue fighting her own way.

"I will be taking a nap, ensure that we stay on course" he said, before settling down, being tired from staying up on watch at night.

He felt like he had barely fallen asleep when he was jostled awake by the harsh rocking of his boat. He opened his eyes, ready to growl at Ashley, and saw that she was using all her energy, trying to keep the boat from capsizing. He looked out onto the ocean, and saw a massive fleet of pirate ships approaching them. There must have been at least thirty.

As the ships came nearer, he could see that they all flew the same jolly roger. "Pirates" he stated, looking at his trainee. She took the news well, simply waiting for his commands. The ships began to bear down on them, and he could hear the order from the flag ship to destroy them. He stood and pulled out his sword. Without turning he spoke to Ashley, "if I were to simply defend now, we would both die."

He could feel her eyes on him as he stepped forward and began to release attack after attack. He could hear her gasp as she saw the sheer devastation that his attacks did, watching as the ships were systematically sliced into pieces, one after the other.

She found it difficult to even count the amount of ships that he sunk. He did not need to be near them to attack them, his sword strikes so powerful that the shock waves did the damage that the sword itself would have done. She flinched as she heard the screaming of the people as they fell into the water, most not coming back up to the surface. When she couldn't take any more, she yelled.

"Stop! Please, stop it!" Her hand outstretched toward him. "This is uncalled for! Those poor people!"

He sheathed his sword and turned to her, staring until she raised her gaze to his. "No, not poor __people__. They are __pirates__. People who hurt others, who in the future could hurt your family." He willed her to understand what he was saying. "By attacking first, I am defending others who would have been overwhelmed and defeated."

"You don't know that for certain," she shot back, and he snarled.

"They thought we were easy prey, and came after us to destroy us!" he growled at her. She lowered her head again, seemingly cowed. It seemed he could not put in words a way to make her understand, but perhaps… he could show her.

"Shall we see then?" he asked. He pointed to the largest ship that was sailing away as quickly as it could manage. "I left their flag ship damaged, but still able to sail. Let's follow after them, and see what they do."

"For what purpose?" she asked.

"Understanding," he stated. "So that you will see the consequences of inaction."

She sat silently in thought, looking in his eyes for answers before saying, "Very well," and she picked up her oar. "I will not be able to catch them on my own," she said with a hint of a smile, trying to dispel the tense air between them.

He smirked back. "We will let them feel as if they escaped. We'll get a better idea of what their true intentions are." He sat back down, reclining so that he could go back to sleep. He sighed in content as Ashley started slowly moving the boat after the huge ship. Letting his frustrations out on the pirates had been rather therapeutic, and he felt as though he would sleep well now.


	11. Chapter 11: Reese Finally Makes Friends

"I think maybe I'm just cursed. I've racked my brain, and it's the only logical conclusion I've come up with," Reese said dramatically.

Ririka laughed gently, as she continued to prepare ingredients for dinner later. "I'm sure there is an actual, logical reason Reese."

"Really?" Reese asked. "because I can't find it." She went closer and hopped up to sit on the counter next to where Ririka was working. Reese continued, recounting the facts. "One, I invite nice friendly people to come into town and have a meal with me. Two, said people agree. Three, said people then do not show, and four, said people are suddenly too busy to speak to me ever again." She rested her elbow on her leg and put her head in her hand. "And it keeps happening, it's not like it is an isolated incident. The only other answer I can think of… is something is wrong with me," she said. Then quickly raised her head again. "But I don't believe that, so obviously, I'm cursed."

Ririka had stopped her chopping to smile at Reese. "Well, I cannot fault your logic. Though, I still think something else is going on."

"Why not just drag the next one in right away, instead of making plans for later?" C.C. said as she walked into the kitchen.

They laughed with her. "That would be quite the sight, wouldn't it?" Reese said. "Me pulling in some unsuspecting person saying, "no we're eating now!" I can see it will go great!" she said with a grin.

"You know you can always just stop asking," C.C. said. "You don't need a date that badly, right?"

Reese laughed at her sarcastic tone. "It's not that, and you know it. I just want, you know, some friends." she looked at them stricken by the implication of what she just said. "You two are the best, you know that, right? But, I was hoping to have some friends my age to spend some of my time with." That didn't sound any better. "I mean…"

"We understand." Ririka said, squeezing Reese's shoulder.

"Yes, we do" C.C. added. "But if they treat you like this, then they are not worth it, all right?" she asked.

"Thanks," Reese said with an emotional smile. "You two really are the best!"

"Of course we are," C.C. said, then pulled Reese towards the back door. "Why don't you go take a walk?" she said. "Go clear your head, so you'll be of use to me during dinner. We'll be busy then, and I need you at your best."

"Okay, if you're sure," Reese replied.

"I'm sure, now get out" she said as she pushed her out the door.

Reese couldn't help but smile. People around town had many words to describe C.C. but not many knew her as Ririka and she did. C.C. acted as though she was selfish, but she would move mountains for those she cared about.

* * *

Reese decided she wanted to enjoy the meadows and farmland just outside the edge of town, and took only a small detour to grab an apple from Corbin as a snack. She was whistling as she walked around the building and over to his stand.

"Excuse me," she heard someone say.

She turned and looked over to see a guy in with a bandanna on his head, dark pants and a white shirt that was open at the neck, and short sleeves which showed off his muscles.

"Yes?" she answered, flipping a coin over to Corbin, and ducking in front of the stall so he couldn't throw it back. The guy gave her a strange look, but she simply smiled.

"Can you point me to a restaurant? I've been looking all over and can't seem to find one," he said, and Reese gave him a quizzical look, and pointedly looked across the street at the restaurant before looking back at him. He seemed serious and determined, however, so she thought maybe he had just missed it or come from the opposite direction.

"Sure," she answered as she stood again. "There is one right across the street there, on the left." She pointed over to the place.

"Thanks," he said and walked away with a wave of his hand.

"Hmm, weird" she muttered, and turned back to Corbin to collect an apple, refusing to take back the beri she used to pay for it. In response, he gave her two apples instead of one. She looked crossly at it, before realizing that she probably wouldn't eat again until after dinner service was finished, so she took it and waved, starting off toward the edge of town.

Reese walked briskly and tossed one of her apples up in the air and catching it as it fell, like a baseball. She made it out to the small meadow and leaned on the fence while she ate the fruit, enjoying the quiet scenery. As nice as it was to get away, she was still upset, and confused. __First Greg, then Charlie… then Yoku, Jerry, and most recently Shiro. It didn't make any sense, that every single one of them would suddenly decide to shun me… but none of them would even talk about it, simply saying they were too busy to talk, too busy to see me, just… too busy,__ she thought.

"Hey!"

A shout brought Reese out of her depressing thoughts, and she turned to see the muscle guy from before stalking towards her with a large scowl.

"Um, yes?" she asked, wondering what had made him angry.

"Those were the worst directions ever," he said, and her mouth dropped open in shock. __He's joking, right?__

"Wait, you missed the restaurant, so you went the opposite direction to come and tell me my directions were bad?!" she said in unbelief. "That's crazy!"

"No," he corrected her. "I followed your directions, and ended up out here!"

 _ _Whoa, this guy must have the worst sense of direction ever, or he is playing a major joke on me._ I _wonder if C.C. put him up to this to cheer me up in some weird way.__ As she thought, his stomach made a huge growling noise, even more apparent in the quiet. Her eyes went wide, and he looked at her in embarrassment, blushing slightly.

Reese felt her whole idea of him shift. Most guys she knew would never look embarrassed, let alone blush in front of her, they liked to think they were too manly for that. She bent down and picked up her other apple, and held it out to him.

"No, that's-"

"Just take it, I already ate one, and this one is an extra," she replied even as she stepped up and threaded her arm through his, enjoying the guarded look he gave her. "Seriously, it will make up for my... bad directions," she used air quotes with her fingers, but he missed that as he nodded and immediately started inhaling the apple.

Reese pulled on his arm to get him walking along with her, and she smiled as he kept his hand in his pocket, but didn't try to shrug her arm off. "I'm headed to the restaurant myself, so I'll take you there. Oh, and my name is Teresa," she added. "But you can call me Reese."

"Roronoa Zoro," he said in between chewing.

"Nice to meet you, Zoro" she said. "and I'm sorry, but I have to ask… what's up with the three swords?"

"Hmm?" he asked with his mouth full, turning his head to look at her.

"I mean, are you just trying to look intimidating? Or do you normally break one so you carry a spare? Or do you wait to decide which to use by who you are fighting?" Her mind was whirling with the possible reasons of having three.

He swallowed before answering. "No, I use a three sword style of fighting, so I use all of them at once."

She blinked at the unexpected answer. "Seriously? How do you hold the third one?" she asked, curiosity peaked.

"With my teeth," he smirked at her. Her eyebrow quirked up, as she considered the picture of swords in both hands and one in his mouth, and shrugged.

"Interesting," she said, staying quiet as she took the information in. "Are you good?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, though not arrogantly, only as if it were fact. "And one day, I'll be the best." Reese nodded with a smirk of her own. "Why don't you have a weapon?" he asked her, looking her up and down.

"There's a marine base on the island," she answered.

"And?" he asked, and he rose in her estimation again. He was smart, and able to understand what she wasn't saying.

"The marine captain believes only marines and criminals need weapons," she said, and he nodded and fell silent. She decided then to lighten the subject matter. "By the way, I'd better warn you that I'm cursed," she said, waving her hand to indicate how spooky it was.

"Cursed?" he asked with a disbelieving look on his face.

"It's true," she sighed dramatically. "Everyone I invite to the restaurant ends up going hungry."

"What happens to them?" he asked with a smirk, hearing her teasing tone.

"No one knows," she wiggled her fingers in front of herself again. "They simply never arrive."

"Perhaps it was your directions," he deadpanned.

There was a pause, then she burst out laughing. "Oh, I set you up perfectly for that one!" she laughed, and he chuckled along with her.

"I'm not afraid of curses," he said as she led him up to the restaurant. He opened the door and gestured her in first, and she beamed at him.

* * *

Dinner wasn't very busy, so Reese was able to spend some time talking to Zoro as he ate. It was a treat for her to be able to talk to someone new, even though he wasn't a very talkative person. After hearing someone else call him a pirate hunter, she went and insisted on stories about pirates he had caught. He didn't seem to embellish anything, and only told the basics, but she was still fascinated. It was the first she had heard about the world outside of this island, and she was determined to get as much information as possible.

She kept bringing him food to keep him in his chair at the bar, and eventually he refused any more, though he never refused refills on his drink. And he kept insisting to pay her back once he got another pirate bounty, though she would wave it off.

Later, when she was in the kitchen Reese heard the commotion. It sounded like muffled screams, and mean laughter. She went out to see what was happening, and saw a large wolf dog going from table to table scaring people and eating messily from their plates while the captain's son simply laughed at them all.

Without realizing it, Reese's hands became fists at her sides. __This moron brought trouble everywhere he went, and he did it on purpose just because he could__. He looked over to Reese with a smirk, saying "anyone who tries to stop him will be executed." The two marines behind him just looked around for a place to sit.

Reese started toward him, ready to punch him in the face, when she was stopped. Looking down, she saw Zoro's hand on her arm. She looked up at him, and saw him shake his head, but she was not to be deterred. She ripped her arm away from Zoro just as Rika came out of the back with a broom, heading towards the dog, and Reese moved quickly to head her off.

The little girl started to swing her broom at the dog, yelling "Shoo!" and showing no fear. Reese grabbed it from her and pulled her behind herself, just as the animal turned, baring his teeth and snarling.

"Rika!" they could hear Ririka cry from the kitchen doorway.

"Good dog," Helmeppo said, as he sauntered over to the girls.

"What are you doing here?" Reese demanded though her eyes didn't move from the dog. "I thought you hated this restaurant."

"I'm tired of waiting for my invitation," he replied cockily. She looked at him in confusion, so he clarified. "Several marines received an invitation to eat here with you, but we all know the captain's son should be asked first."

The silence was telling, and he smiled at Reese, even as she snarled back. She thought of all the so called friends she had made, who were scared off of coming here because of this blond man-child in front of her, and her anger spiked again.

"That should tell you something then," she responded angrily, "but since you don't get it, I'll explain. I'd rather be __executed__ then eat a meal with __you__." She heard a few gasps around her.

"You should think about what you're saying," he grit out. "It would be smart to be my friend, not my enemy. It's not worth your life."

"I'd rather be friends with the dog," she shot back with contempt, and saw his face redden with anger before he calmed himself.

"Fine, though you may regret that later," he said. "They're all yours Sora," he said to the dog as he moved to sit back down.

Her attention was quickly brought back to the dog in front of them, as it started growling and snarling openly. Rika was gripping the leg of her pants in a death lock, and all she could think as she saw the dog crouch in preparation to leap at them, was to protect Rika.

Then, a footstool came flying across the room and hit the dog right in the face. It turned toward the offender, as did the rest of the people, and they saw Zoro's back. Reese's mouth was open as she watched the dog spring, but he went after Zoro instead of her. In quick movements she could hardly process, his sword was out, the dog was hit, and he wiped off his sword before sheathing it again, and sat back down.

The room was silent as they all stared at Zoro. __He just saved us, he was amazing!__ she thought. He was already sitting back at the bar, drinking his drink and acting like nothing had just happened. Helmeppo looked like he would explode, he was so angry.

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded as he stalked over to Zoro.

Reese moved quickly to step in between them, arms crossed, glaring at Helmeppo. "This is my friend Zoro, the pirate hunter," she said to him and watched in pleasure as he paled. He seemed to gather his courage and he pulled out his own sword, pushing Reese aside hard enough that she fell, and he stalked over to Zoro swinging a sword towards his face.

Zoro was ready for him however, and he struck the sword with his boot, causing it fly out of Helmeppo's hand. Helmeppo's scream was cut short as Zoro's fist plowed into his face. Reese grinned as he fall back into the bar. He held his face, shocked that he had been struck, then cringed in fear as Zoro stood over him with a sword at his throat.

Reese was surprised to see him suddenly change, smirking up at Zoro. "Go ahead, but you won't be able to save your friend," he said, causing Zoro to glance at Reese before turning back to him with a glare. "My father won't take kindly to this, and she will be executed," he stated. "But…" he paused and the sly look he had made Reese very suspicious. "Perhaps we can simply handle this ourselves, between men."

Zoro said nothing, but his sword moved away from Helmeppo slightly and taking that as a sign, he continued. "Normally she would be strung up in the yard at the base. However… if you take her place say, for thirty days? I'll let her go. And because I'm such a nice guy, if you survive all thirty days, I'll let you go at the end of it too."

"What?!" Reese cried incredulously. "I didn't even do anything! It was YOUR dog that-"

"Thirty days then." Zoro agreed, interrupting her. She looked back at him in shock, ready to argue but he was already surrendering his swords to the marines.

"Zoro, you can't…" she started, trying to stand and move over to him at the same time, which was not working well.

He smirked back at her. "I've been through worse" he said, and Helmeppo laughed as the marines escorted him out.

"He says that like he thinks he'll __survive__ ," Helmeppo said quietly to Reese, then laughed again and followed the marines out the door while she just looked on, unsure of what to do.

* * *

"C.C. I don't care if you have to make something up! I need to go to the base, and make sure Zoro is still alive. If I have a delivery, then I won't be instantly suspicious!" Reese was pacing in front of her table, unable to sit still any longer. "Zoro did this in __my place__ , the least I can do is make sure he doesn't starve to death!"

"Reese, I understand, really, I do." She spoke calmly, but it only agitated Reese further. "But you need to look at the big picture here. If you are caught, you'll be strung up beside him at best, but most likely executed."

"I don't care!" Reese yelled, exploding from stress and worry.

"Well you should!" she yelled back, which made Reese stop pacing and stare at her. "It's not just you Reese," she said quietly, commanding attention. "After executing you, they would begin looking for your accomplices, and then all of us would be in danger too…" She gave a sympathetic look, and noticing the determined look on her face, she sighed. "All right, I'll give you an actual delivery, BUT-" She paused in order to stress her conditions for her concession. "You can only get information. Absolutely no trying to sneak him food" she said, and after a moment, Reese nodded along.

"I promise," Reese said, feeling a huge weight lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, C.C.. Thank you."

* * *

Later that evening, when everyone was in bed, Reese snuck down to the kitchen, and packed a few things into a bag. She had been true to her word earlier, and did not try to get Zoro any food while she was at the base, though she had been severely tempted to.

She gritted her teeth in anger as she remembered the state he was in, tied up to a cross that was stuck in the ground, and left out in the elements for the past five days without food and very little water. He looked as though he had been beaten, and Reese had been ready to beat some marines in return.

"What are you doing?"

She whirled around, startled. _"_ _ _Rika__!" she hissed, and shushed her. " _ _Quiet__!"

The little girl looked sheepish and tried again. " _ _What are you doing?"__ she whispered. She looked at the food Reese was placing in my bag. " _ _Sneaking food to Zoro?"__ she smiled, excited at the idea.

" _ _No, Rika you can't come,"__ Reese whispered, anticipating her question.

* * *

 _ _Apparently seven year olds are my achilles' heel__ , Reese thought. __Though__ __I was very glad that I had given in and let her help me.__ They had since snuck out three separate times and given Zoro some food and water. He tried to refuse, but he had little chance against their combined stubbornness, and finally relented.

One morning during breakfast, C.C. and Ririka stood in front of Reese frowning, and she knew she was in trouble. There wasn't anything she could say in defense, because it was true that she had endangered them. Then they banned her from the kitchen. She didn't agree, but she couldn't argue. And she could see they were scared.

Later that day, she discovered that they were more scared than she had thought. Trying to get food at the town market, and at every stall she was refused. No one would sell her food, not even Corbin, though he gave her a sorrowful look and an apology. Reese was surprised, that somehow C.C. had blocked her from continuing to help Zoro on every side.

She continued her campaign by giving Reese more deliveries and errands than she could handle, keeping her so busy that she would barely finish before the restaurant closed at night. Reese was so exhausted, that she couldn't think of trying to sneak out, even if she actually had food to take.

* * *

Rika could tell that Reese was upset, but she wasn't sure what she could do to help. Reese hadn't told her mom that she had helped sneak food to Zoro, and Rika was worried about him too. It had been ten days since they had last taken him food, and she was sure he was VERY hungry. She got so hungry if she skipped even one meal, and he had skipped days and days of food.

Zoro had saved them from that awful Helmeppo and his dog, and now he was being punished for it. __What would Reese do if she were me?__ she thought. __Probably take food to Zoro herself. Hmm…__ She knew her mom would never let her, so she would have to be sneaky about it… and she would have to apologize to her mom after.

"Mom?" She walked into the kitchen where her mother was preparing food for breakfast.

"Yes Rika?" she asked her.

Now or never. "I… I want to help cheer Reese up. Do you think I could help make her breakfast?"

Ririka smiled. Rika was such a kind girl, and didn't like to see anyone upset. "Sure sweetheart, what would you like to make for her?"

Rika thought for a moment. "Some rice balls?" she asked. "Would that be okay?"

"I'm sure she would love that," she replied, and Rika felt funny for tricking her, but knew this was the only way to help Reese, and Zoro. After she finished preparing her treat, she decided to just take them to Zoro right now. That way Reese couldn't get in trouble again, and she knew she couldn't go out at night alone.

* * *

Reese walked into the restaurant for lunch and saw Rika sitting by two strange, young looking guys. She headed over immediately in worry, but stopped short as the door slammed open behind her, barely missing hitting her.

Her anger felt like a volcano as Helmeppo and his two marine lapdogs walked in. He took a seat and put his feet on the table, demanding free food. All of the stress and anger of the past two weeks came to a boil and Reese stalked over to his side, and grabbed his jacket, yanking him upwards.

"YOU are not welcome here," she spit at him. "GET OUT."

He found this funny, rather than intimidating. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, smoothing his lapel where she had gripped it. "People have been executed for less," he threatened.

"I'm so SICK of your threats!" she said, her voice getting louder, as she lost control of her temper. "You're just a spoiled brat, who doesn't know how to do anything for himself and runs to __daddy__ to solve all his problems!"

He sneered at her and said, "I'm bored," before he turned to walk away. "I suppose I'll just execute Zoro to liven things up." He turned his head back to wink at Reese, then continued out.

"Wait!" she called, furious and scared that he would actually do it. She didn't reach him, as the dark haired boy next to Rika stormed up and grabbed Helmeppo's shoulder, turning him around as his other fist slammed into his face.

Reese stopped and stared, then grinned in satisfaction as Helmeppo started screaming threats as he ran out. She turned to her mysterious benefactor, and smiling put out her hand to shake his. "I'm Teresa, but you as my newest friend, can call me Reese," she said.

"Monkey D. Luffy" he responded, and gripped her hand with a brilliant smile of his own. He pointed to the pink haired kid, "and that's Coby."

"Nice to meet you. I only wish I had been the one to punch him," she said with a sigh as Rika tugged on her hand. She looked down in question.

"Is he really going to hurt Zoro, Reese?" she asked. Before Reese could answer, Luffy did with a chuckle.

"Shi shi shi, not if we can help it!" he said and grabbed a straw hat, placing it on his head. "Let's go Coby!" saying that, he took off out the door, with Coby running behind him, trying to keep up.

Reese looked back at C.C. and saw her shake her head in answer to her unasked question, then looked back at the door wistfully. "Good luck Luffy," she said quietly. "I hope you can help him."

* * *

There had never been so many people crammed into the restaurant before, but it seemed like everyone wanted to hear them recount their fight with Captain Morgan. Coby seemed to enjoy the attention, though he also looked nervous. Zoro and Luffy kept pace with each other as they ate plate after plate of food, with Zoro succumbing to a full stomach long before Luffy finished. Several people offered C.C. money to help pay for their feast, but she refused saying their meal was on the house.

Reese continued to serve food and drinks, enjoying the atmosphere, and relishing the fact that everyone was all right. She stopped and looked around as she heard Rika say her name.

"What?" Reese asked her, coming over to where she sat.

"Coby was saying it is his dream to join the marines, just like you Reese!" she exclaimed.

Reese gave Coby a smile and said "that's because great minds think alike, right Coby?" Coby's cheeks pinked in embarrassed pleasure and Reese chuckled.

Luffy made a disappointed sound. "Sorry Zoro, guess asking her to join us won't work" he said to the pirate hunter.

"Join you?" Reese questioned.

"Yeah! My pirate crew!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to be king of the pirates!" and she smiled, though she had a weird feeling of deja vu.

"And Zoro?" she asked with a smirk.

"He's my first crew member!"

"Wait, what?" Zoro spluttered. "You don't have a crew yet?" he asked.

"Nope! It's just us." Luffy replied with a grin, and Reese grinned at Zoro's look.

"Do you even have a ship?" Zoro asked exasperated.

"Yep!" Luffy cheerfully said. "It's right there!" They all looked out toward the dock, to see a tiny rowboat with a small sail attached. Zoro groaned, and muttered "what did I get myself into?"

After that, everything happened so fast it all blurred together.

Before she knew it Coby and Reese were both signed on as marine recruits, saluting and waving goodbye with the entire town to Luffy and Zoro as they sailed away.


	12. Chapter 12: Dru's Recruit

__I feel like I am walking to the principal's office__ , Dru thought. Though she wouldn't normally compare Dragon to a principal, being summoned to his office made her think of anything that she could have done wrong. __My training was going well, but perhaps not as well as they hoped? Or maybe it was that Sabo and I still didn't really get along?__

Koala was just finishing telling Dru that she would be heading out on another mission when a messenger gave her the summons, and escorted her there. Now she stood outside of Dragon's office, thinking up all the worst case scenarios instead of going in to find out what the truth was.

Dru finally decided anything had to be better than what she was imagining, so she knocked on the door. Once she heard "enter" she opened the door and slipped inside.

"Ah, Miss Dru. Thank you for coming. Though I did wonder if you were going to change your mind…" Dragon said as he smiled at her.

"Sorry sir," she replied. "I suppose I was worried that I was in trouble," she looked away in embarrassment.

Dragon smiled. "Nothing like that, I assure you." He gestured for her to sit, and she did so, getting more comfortable now that she was no longer worried she had done something wrong. Dragon cleared his throat. "I'd like to send you with a group on a mission," he said, taking her by surprise.

"But…" she responded, surprised. "Do you think I'm ready for that?"

He smiled again, almost looking proud. "I think so, and this will be an opportunity for you to prove it, to yourself."

Dru sat there, shocked. __He could read me pretty well. I don't feel ready,__ she thought, _ _but if he thought so, then I probably was.__

She said the only thing that she could think to say, "All right, who will I be with, and what is our objective?"

Needless to say, his smile grew bigger at that.

* * *

Dru disembarked from the ship behind Wayne, the man who was leading the mission. The objective was simple enough, the revolutionaries needed information and their group had been sent to gather it. The unofficial ruler of this island, Mr. Phrat, was a man that controlled most of the land and businesses, and they were confident that he had the information they were after.

They were dressed as pirates, and tried to conduct themselves in the same manner. Dru was the ship's engineer, mostly because the stereotype was that engineers were strange due to their lack of contact with others. That way, she wouldn't stand out too badly if she messed up, though she was still a nervous wreck.

After waiting for the scouts, they finally were on the move. There were some that were tasked with distraction and the rest of the group were on infiltration. She tried to tell herself that nothing would go wrong, however she had a hard time believing it, and she stuck as close to Wayne as she could get.

They had spent most of that day shopping for supplies, which was their cover. In actuality, they were finding out anything and everything about Mr. Phrat and his activities. Come dusk, they all gathered back on the ship to share what they had learned.

"What?" Wayne asked, after hearing a horrible report.

"It's true," Anka, one of the scouts, said to Wayne. "They are little better than slaves, working all day to earn food and rent. The prices Mr. Phrat has set means that most people have no chance to better themselves."

"Very well," Wayne replied. "Moving on."

Anka and Dru seemed to be the only ones truly upset by this, but they followed along with the others. This was Dru's first mission after all, and she wasn't sure what all the protocols were, if she could speak her mind or not.

She sat in silence as the reports continued, and finally as Wayne outlined his plan. She would not be accompanying the group, rather stationed as a sort of look out, outside Mr. Phrat's mansion. It seemed like a job she would be able to do, so she nodded along.

The next day, she took her time walking through town. She needed to be outside the mansion at a certain time, and didn't want to botch things by arriving too early or too late. Having arrived at the appointed time, she gave the appearance of stopping to rest from her supposed activities. There was a large tree off to the side of the road, so she went and sat under it, closing her eyes and pretending to rest.

After a few minutes, she knew she needed to be moving on, but hadn't seen any evidence that the plan was even happening, __though I suppose that was a good sign__. Standing slowly, and making a show of checking that she had all her belongings, she started to walk away.

Suddenly, alarms were blaring and voices yelling, and she watched in shock as several of her comrades came running out of the front of the mansion.

"Run for it!" one of them yelled to her, and she ran in the direction of their ship. She kept glancing behind her, noticing that they were all faster than she was, and were rapidly catching up. They weaved back through the town, and headed for the docks. As they neared the ship, she heard someone calling out to them from behind.

"Please, take us with you!" she looked back, and saw a man barely older than herself with a young boy in his arms. The boy was hanging on for dear life, and the man was pushing as hard as he could in order to catch up.

Dru jumped onto the ship, as the others pulled the gangplank away. The man was close behind, and she could hear the shouts of the men running for them, sent to capture them all.

"Hurry!" she called, as the ship started to pull away from the dock. The man was exhausted from his run however, and just sagged in defeat. Without another thought, Dru jumped back to the dock, took the boy and yelled, "Anka! Catch him!" Then grabbing him under his arms, she hefted him up and tossed him out into Anka's waiting hands.

"Come on!" she called back, taking the boy over the railing and onto the deck.

Knowing there was no way she would make the jump again, Dru grabbed the man's arm. "What's your name?" she asked in a rush. They could see that Phrat's men were almost upon them.

"Just go!" he said, crying. "Please get my son free from here!"

"I don't have time to babysit, you're coming too!" she said and pulled him with her as she jumped into the water.

She wasted no time swimming towards the boat, pulling the man with her, and soon she was the one being pulled along instead. It seemed the water had given him a second wind, and he swam as fast as he could. Anka dropped the rope ladder, and Dru had the father go first, then climbed up after him, falling to the deck and panting, trying to catch her breath.

Feeling someone standing above her, she opened her eyes, and saw Wayne glaring down at her.

"What did you think you were doing?" he snapped. "Never make decisions like that for yourself! There is a chain of command for a reason."

"But-"

"No buts!" he cut her off. "If you are going to go on outside missions, you need to learn to look at the big picture. When it is right to go outside of orders, when you can make a difference!" he hissed.

Dru looked over at the father and son, hugging and crying all over Anka who looked uncomfortable but was smiling.

"It made a difference to them," she retorted, as she pointed at them, then stood and went to dry herself off.

* * *

This time, the summons to Dragon's office came as no shock to Dru at all. She knew that Wayne was upset with her, and that she would get a very bad review or whatever they did here for her performance on the mission. However, she also knew that she had done nothing wrong, in fact, she was proud of herself. __If Dragon was really upset with my actions, then I would gladly not go on missions anymore, and may even rethink why I had even joined them,__ she thought.

Approaching the door and knocking, she then entered after being invited to. She stopped short as she realized that Dragon wasn't alone. Both Wayne and Sabo were with him in the office.

"Miss Dru, please join us," Dragon invited, and she walked over to the empty chair next to Wayne, facing Dragon who sat at his desk, with Sabo standing beside him.

"Thank you sir," she said calmly as she sat down. She smiled at Dragon, as if pleased to be there, while inside she was dreading the way this could go.

"I've gotten the reports from your mission, and from your mission leader, but now I'd like to hear it from you," Dragon said to her with a slight smirk.

 _ _I may not be as stubborn as my sisters, but I was plenty stubborn, and if they were rethinking inviting me to join them, I'd make them say it,__ she thought. "I don't know what insight I could give you sir, it is pretty straightforward."

She saw Sabo smirk as well, before controlling his features and asking, "How about motivation?"

"Motivation?" she echoed, wondering what he was asking.

"Yes," he responded, his face stern, but his eyes were laughing. "We know what you did, but why did you do it?" he asked.

She stopped and thought for a moment. "I don't know that I had any underlying motivation," she answered, and saw both men in front of her raise an eyebrow in question. "There were horrible stories from all the townspeople of what life was like on that island," she continued. "And then someone was brave enough to try to get away, and he asked for help." She cleared her throat and added, "so I helped him."

"You had never met him before?" Dragon asked.

"Huh? No," she responded, confused. "I still don't even know his name."

"The man is Daichi, and his son is Eichi," Sabo said. "They are very grateful for your help, and have asked to stay with us, and help others as you helped them."

Her mouth formed an "o" as she looked at him in surprise. "They did?" she asked, not quite believing it.

"They did," Dragon confirmed. "Wayne, you must be very proud to have had such a successful mission, not only completing your objective, but bringing back a recruit as well." Wayne looked shocked, then embarrassed as he realized that his complaint was undeserved.

"Of course sir, thank you sir," he said to Dragon.

"You are both dismissed," Dragon said to them with a twinkle of a smile in his eyes. As they stood and walked out, Dru stood even taller. __It was always nice to have one's efforts validated!__ Wayne stopped her outside the door with an apology and a "good job". Dru shook his hand, and congratulated him as well for his great leadership, and they parted ways, both feeling better about the entire situation.

As Dru was walking back to her room, she was stopped with a hand on her shoulder, and spun with her hands up to block the intruder.

Sabo stood there laughing with his hands up in surrender. "Sorry Dru, but I was calling and you didn't hear me."

"Oh, sorry" she said, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "I guess I was in my own little world." She glanced back at him. "What did you need?" she asked.

Now it was his turn to look embarrassed. "I- I just wanted to apologize, for the way I've been treating you," he said. "Koala was right, though I would appreciate it if you didn't tell her I said that."

Dru giggled at that, "Yes, she would never let you forget it!" she said, and he groaned.

"So true! So it would be better if she doesn't know." He gave her a puppy eyed look, begging.

"Oh, all right. Your secret is safe with me," she said, giving in with a roll of her eyes.

He became serious and spoke again, "I've heard from Koala and Dragon that you've been through quite the ordeal before you joined with us. I'd be interested to hear about it, if you are willing…?" he asked.

Thinking for a moment, she realized he was offering her a chance to start over. "I think I would like that, though I must warn you, turn about is fair play," she teased.

"I think I would like that too," he said. "You hungry?"

"Famished," she answered, and they headed off to get some dinner, and to finally get to know each other.


	13. Chapter 13: Kia Receives a Message

Kia woke up with a start, panting, trying to catch my breath, and seeing Dalton in front of her. __He must have had to wake me up again, which means I had been screaming in my sleep,__ she thought.

"Are you all right Kiana?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she said between deep breaths, trying to get her heart rate back to normal.

"Another dream?" he asked.

"The same one, unfortunately," she answered, still not looking him in the eye. "Thank you for waking me."

"Not a problem," he replied, standing up. "It's a little early, but get ready, and we'll head out to patrol."

Kia smiled then, remembering the long months of first convincing Dalton to let her join the army or rather the volunteers that took to walking patrols to help guard the island from another attack; then the time spent training before he would actually let her help. Not to mention all the time of therapy once Dr. Kureha came and took off her cast. After all that, she had just barely been able to start patrolling, and was thrilled about it.

After all the devastation that occurred on the island, and the king running away from the fight to leave his citizens to die, everyone had come to a unanimous decision to change the name from Drum Kingdom. The problem now however, was no one could agree on a new name. So they all called it simply, Our Island, and decided to wait until they had a new king who could name the island. Everyone wanted Dalton to take the job, but he had refused.

That was when Kia spoke up and suggested they all vote, mentioning that was how her people got their leaders back in her homeland. The townspeople ran with the idea, and now they were a little over a week away from voting day. Dalton had been nominated, and no one else had even thought of another name.

After Judith's death, Zachary wanted nothing to do with Kia, and she couldn't blame him. She couldn't help but wonder if the man had been secretly in love with Judith, but either way his entire life had changed once he saved her, and not for the better.

Dalton came to the rescue, as he did for everyone. He gave her a place to stay, and then helped her get closer to her own goals. She wouldn't call herself strong yet, but she knew she was stronger than she had been. She could avoid his attacks when they sparred, and she could shoot straight. She would definitely call that progress.

Dalton even gave her a purpose, involving her in all of the preparations to protect the island, not only from marauding pirates, but from the eventual return of King Wapol. They were both are certain he would return; Dalton because he knows the king too well, and Kia because, well, because she knew from the story.

Getting dressed in her warmest clothes, she headed outside to meet Dalton. They grabbed their sled, and started the patrol there in Big Horn, where they lived. They would make a large half circle to the other side of the island, stopping in Robelli town for lunch, and heading back on the other side, being home in the late afternoon. They took turns with several other volunteers, though Dalton and Kia took extra shifts. This amounted to everyone having a patrol once every other week, with Dalton and Kia going twice a week. The others didn't think it was fair, but the two insisted, and often went patrolling times that they weren't scheduled.

The patrol was uneventful as always, and when stopping for lunch, Dalton surprised Kia by asking if she had noticed something strange. It was a game they sometimes played, testing her ability to be aware of her surroundings. He waited patiently, as was his way, but finally he gave her the answer.

"It hasn't snowed at all today," he said, and headed into the restaurant.

She scowled. "While that is a strange occurrence, that was definitely a trick question."

"True enough," he said with a small smile. "But now you are buying lunch."

She groaned in defeat, though since he gave her any money she had, he truly was buying lunch anyway. He walked over to the bar and sat, and she noticed the stool he left for her was right next to a guy dressed all in black.

She sat also, scooting her stool slightly closer to Dalton. Something about being too close to strangers had been an issue since the island was attacked. Dalton gave a look, which she ignored, and she started glancing through the menu, though she knew she would order ramen as always.

"The usual?" Chef Ryo asked as he came out of the kitchen, placing a plate full of food in front of the darkly dressed man on their right.

"Yes for me, Kiana?" Dalton asked with a smile since she was still looking through the menu.

"Yes please, chef," she answered, folding the menu up and handing it to him.

"Are you okay with waiting a bit?" he asked us. "I've got to make more noodles, since he's eaten my last stock," he said with a grin nodding to the man beside her.

The man looked over and smiled though his cheeks were full of food. "I'm shorry," he said with his mouth full. "But it's sho good!"

Kia could hear Dalton laugh, but she didn't move, just stared at the man, unable to believe what she was seeing. He thought that she was appalled, and he looked embarrassed, and quickly swallowed what was in his mouth, wiped his face on his sleeve and turned to fully face her.

"Where __are__ my manners," he said smoothly. "I apologize." He gave a little head bow, tipping his black hat slightly. His eyes came back to meet hers, and she saw a smirk on his face. "My name's Ace." There was a pause as he eyed her curiously. "And you are…?"

She sat there still, and snapped out of her stupor when Dalton elbowed her. _"_ _ _Kiana!"__ she squeaked, then coughed to clear her throat. __Why did I always freeze around good looking guys? The dark hair and eyes, the cute freckles on his cheeks… The smirk just added to his appeal, and I'm pretty sure he knows it.__ She succeeded in clearing her throat and tried again. "Um, sorry about that, I'm Kiana."

His smirk seemed to grow. "It's a pleasure," he said with another tip of his hat. She flushed and quickly turned back to face forward, mentally beating herself for looking so completely stupid. Her mind was racing as she thought of the implications of seeing Ace here. He had to be looking for Blackbeard, which meant that Luffy was soon to follow, and they would eventually meet up in Alabasta.

She tried, but couldn't recall how long it was between Ace's visit and Luffy arriving. As much as she was enjoying peeking glances at Ace, the thought of seeing the Straw Hat pirates had her mentally squealing.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ace asked. Kia turned again, as he had spoken to her, and realized that some sort of squeak had actually come out of her mouth. She could feel how red her face got, though she tried to keep some semblance of composure.

"N- nothing," she managed to say in a relatively normal voice.

"All right," he commented, but smirked at her again.

The food was soon brought out, and she tuned out the conversation Ace and Dalton were having over her head as she ate as quickly as she could. __This was getting embarrassing, and I needed to get out of here before I did something even worse in front of the extremely good looking guy,__ she thought _ _.__

Hearing Dalton say her name had Kia tuning back in.

"- friend, her house was burned, and she had been shot. Kiana here carried her back to town somehow even with her leg in a cast, and her crutches gone. The doctor did what she could, but we ended up losing her," Dalton said sorrowfully.

Kia sat up straight, no longer hungry. __I thought I had come to accept Judith's death__ , she thought sadly, __but at times, it would just sneak up on me, and I had no defense against the pain__. She could feel her eyes fill with tears, and pushed her plate of food away, and turned to stand up, wanting to get away before she bawled.

Ace looked at her face, his own heartbroken feelings over the death of a friend coming back full force. He couldn't help but feel connected to her, or wanting to take her pain away.

She could hear Dalton apologizing, but it was the hand that gripped hers suddenly that stopped her. She looked over at Ace, though he was blurry through her tear filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry for your pain," he said softly. "I wish that I had been able to catch him sooner. I promise, I will catch him, and he __will__ pay for what he's done." He had such conviction in his words, that Kia wanted to believe him, even though she knew otherwise.

"Thank you," she whispered. She couldn't say more, but returned to her seat, and felt Dalton's hand on her shoulder, giving support. She moved to wipe her face, and found it stuck. Looking over, she saw it was still held in Ace's, and she blushed again as he smiled at her. She gave a small tug, and he released it, and she used her sleeve to wipe her face.

Once feeling slightly composed, she looked back at her food, and knew that she wouldn't finish it, so she pushed the plate over to Ace. He gave her a quizzical look, and she said, "I'm full, do you want it?" softly. He smiled gently, taking the plate and adding the food to his own, and continued eating.

"So, besides Blackbeard, have any other pirates come through here?" he asked them casually, changing the subject.

"No," Dalton replied quickly. "We have patrols set throughout the day to ensure pirates cannot land on our island again." He said it with such finality, but Kia smiled as she thought of the irony. Dalton didn't even realize he was telling this to a pirate.

Ace must have seen that she knew what he was, for he gave her a wink which caused her to snort with laughter. She immediately hid her face in her hands, knowing she was blushing again, as she heard Ace chuckle.

He didn't mention her embarrassment, but asked about Luffy, and gave us a message to give to him. Kia wondered where the men that he originally gave the message to were, and then freaked out about something changing in the timeline if Luffy were to actually get the message.

In her worry, she missed quite a bit of conversation, for when she tuned back in, she heard Ace giving his farewells.

"Thank you for lunch Kiana," he told her with another cute hat tip. "We'll have to have another some time." He started walking towards the door.

Chef Ryo came out of the kitchen at that moment, and yelled, "Hey!"

Kia and Dalton turned back to see Ace run out the door like a bullet. Chef turned to them, growling. "Looks like he stuck you with his tab."

"Wait, __what?!__ "


	14. Chapter 14: Ash Goes to a Restaurant

Ash was thrilled to finally be able to stop rowing as she spotted the huge ship anchored up ahead. It had taken weeks due to storms and such, but the two had caught up to the battered ship they were chasing, taking refuge in a hidden cove.

"There, the stern," Mihawk said quietly. Ash glanced at him, and then looked at the back of the ship, seeing a small sailboat tied to the larger vessel. They watched the ship for some time, but saw no sign of the pirates that were undoubtedly aboard.

She steered the coffin boat down the shore from the cove, bringing it aground and securing it. They took some time to stretch out their stiffened muscles, and then made their way silently toward the cove. It took longer than she would have thought, but she finally reached the mouth of the cove and watched in irritation as the galleon sailed out and away.

Ash set her hands on her hips, and turned to glare at Mihawk. He merely smirked at her, and started walking back to where they had left their boat. She turned to follow, using the walk back to stretch and massage her arms, preparing to row once again.

* * *

The fog made visibility nearly impossible, yet Mihawk was quick to correct their heading whenever she veered off course, just as he had the entire chase. Once in a great while he would glance at something in his bag, but she didn't know what it was. Mostly he just sat, patiently waiting for her to catch up to the pirate ship, speaking only to alter their course.

Soon enough, she could see the huge outline and shadow of the galleon in the distance, and started closing in.

"Stop rowing now," he told her, and she was more than happy to obey. "Our chase ends here," he added as he stood, crossing his arms and gazing ahead.

Ash was unsure of what he was doing, but he gave no further clue. She moved to peer around his seat, and as the fog had burned away in the morning sun, she could see their target was moored to a smaller ship, that looked like… a fish.

"The Baratie," he said, answering her unspoken question. She looked up, seeing his back to her. __How does he do that?__ she asked herself silently. Looking back to the ship, she wondered whose it was, and how he knew it.

"The sea restaurant," he answered her again, and she had a moment where she wondered if he could read her mind. She stopped and waited, thinking he may answer again, but there was only silence. She let out a sigh of relief.

After a few minutes, Ash decided to speak up. "So, we caught up to them, now what will we do?" she asked.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. "You, will observe. Nothing more." His tone left no room for argument. "I… will finish what I started." He turned his gaze forward and took his seat. "Let's go," he said, and she obediently picked up the oar.

As they drew closer, Ash looked around, and while she couldn't see much, she could hear shouting. It was hard to make out anything specific, but that wasn't a good sign. Then she clearly heard a shout of "ATTACK!" ring out. Atop the galleon, men yelled, running towards the bow, using ropes to rappel down to the restaurant.

Mihawk stood quickly and glancing at her with a look of victory, unsheathed his sword and swung it in a complicated yet effortless move.

It took only a moment, but it was eerily quiet, and she could hear the soft sound of the sword being sheathed. The next moment there was a large crash as the galleon was now in three separate pieces and crashing into the water. She had no time to be impressed- it took all her skill and then some luck to stay afloat in the waves created by the huge sections of the ship falling into the water.

The pirates aboard the sinking vessel were screaming, swimming or hanging onto any part of their ship they could find. In contrast, the men aboard the sea restaurant simply stood on the deck, riding out the waves and looking like they had seen a ghost.

"Onward." The order was quiet, but she caught it and slipped the oar back into the water. They drew even closer, and she could hear the quiet gasps. His name was spoken, again and again, the water bringing the voices out to us so they sounded from all around the small boat.

Mihawk stayed completely still, as if he didn't hear it, but Ash knew that he did. He reveled in the power of his name, the fear and awe that it brought.

In that moment, she snickered quietly as she realized that his huge chair was hiding her from sight, creating an image of Mihawk gliding forward on a boat that seemed to move itself.

That image was gone as she heard someone cry, "Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?"

Mihawk turned his head with a smirk. "You ruined my nap" he said, causing many of the pirates to glare in anger. She paddled a little faster, trying to be invisible.

"Did you use that sword to slice up this ship?" They were almost to the Baratie when the voice rang out.

Mihawk and Ash both turned to the young man- _ _with green hair?__ \- standing in front of everyone else.

"I did," Mihawk replied.

"So it's true," he said, awed. "You're the best, the reason I set sail… to meet you."

Mihawk wasn't impressed. "And your goal?" he questioned.

"To BEAT you" the guy declared. Ash could sense Mihawk was intrigued, as he continued speaking with him. If not, he would have simply ignored him.

She watched as the green haired man pulled one of his three swords out and pointed it at Mihawk. "Not smart," she muttered, as she rolled her eyes. Her cheeks grew hot as she realized he had heard her, his eyes pierced hers as he scowled at her.

Mihawk leaped from the boat, and spoke with the man, mocking him in his ignorance and angering him as was his way of sizing up a competitor. Ash turned from the men, and started rowing the boat to bring it next to the Baratie. She hopped up from the small vessel, and sat on the deck of the larger ship, keeping her feet inside the coffin boat so that it would stay put.

She watched the duel, seeing her own training from a new perspective. She was suddenly glad that there was no audience during her own training. She grimaced along with the others when Mihawk buried his small knife into the other man's torso.

Ash glanced at the younger man, but her gaze returned to Mihawk. He had a look in his eye that she hadn't seen in some time now. She watched as he pulled out his sword, knowing that the end of the fight drew near. The men struck out at each other, and she felt pity as two of the younger man's swords broke.

She was as shocked as Mihawk when the green haired man gripped his prized sword and held his arms wide in surrender. Mihawk grinned and struck, and the young man's blood flew as he fell into the water.

From behind her there were screams of "ZORO!" and a few men jumped into the water after their friend. She gaped along with everyone else as a guy behind her stretched his arm across the water and went barreling over to Mihawk, crashing into a piece of wreckage as Mihawk stepped aside.

The men in the water hauled up the defeated swordsman, and Mihawk called out to him. Ash sat, transfixed, as he spoke of the path that Zoro must walk in order to face him again, as he asked the young man to seek him out.

Her feelings were erratic as she listened to Zoro swear to his captain that he would never lose again. _I can't believe his guts,_ __could he really believe that there was no one else out there capable of besting him? And how would he go about it? Fighting everyone he came across?__

She was pulled from her thoughts as Mihawk landed in his boat. She stood on the dock and faced him, unsure of what to say or do as he leaned towards her.

"Stay here," he said, quietly enough to ensure no one else could hear. "You must see this through to the end. I will return for you." With that, he put his foot on the deck and shoved off, taking his seat as the boat moved away.

Everyone watched as Don Krieg tried to pick a fight with him, and Ash smirked as Mihawk shrugged him off as one would an insect. She watched Mihawk disappear from sight, then gaped as she realized that no one had been rowing. Her brain began to hurt as she tried to explain it to herself, but had no answer.

"Men! We're taking the ship!" Don Krieg shouted.

"Hey Pops!" the stretchable guy said, though Ash couldn't tell who exactly he was speaking to. "If I take care of these pirates, can I stop doing chores?"

* * *

Ash was standing still on the end of the deck under an archway, staring at the water where Mihawk had gone.

"Pardon me, mademoiselle, but will you come with me please?" the voice was very close, causing her to whirl around and step back instinctively. That step put her foot on the edge of the platform where she stood, and she over balanced and began to fall.

A hand gripped hers quickly, pulling her back even as she felt an arm circle around her waist. Within moments of speaking, she was suddenly in a man's arms after being ready to fall into the water. Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear her head.

"Watch your step, my princess. It would be a tragedy to have your beauty drenched by the sea," She gaped at him as he spoke, her cheeks heating at this words. He was young, early twenties perhaps, and didn't look like he belonged with either the cooks or the pirates.

He was wearing a dark suit and tie, with a blue striped button down. His blond hair was only slightly shorter than her own, and hung down blocking one eye completely. He seemed to be suave, but his eager voice and beaming smile betrayed the notion.

"This restaurant is about to be a battlefield," he continued, maneuvering her to her feet and guiding her towards the others still holding onto her hand, with his other arm around her waist. "If you would kindly stand by the old man, I'll ensure that no harm will reach you," he said.

He stopped in front of an older man with a taller hat than Ash had ever seen. He looked at the younger man and growled out "Let go of the girl Sanji."

Sanji gave the older man an angry look, but released her, taking a moment before retracting his arms to ensure that she was steady. His demeanor changed from night to day as he looked from the man back at her. "As the geezer said, my name is Sanji and I am the sous chef here at the Baratie. And your name is…?" he asked sweetly.

"Ashley," she answered, unable to stop blushing. __Most guys I knew back home treated me like one of the guys. I had never been called a princess before in my entire life, even dad called me his warrior.__ She realized she was totally unprepared for dealing with Sanji.

"Miss Ashley," he gushed with an odd smile. "This is Chef Zeff, he owns the restaurant." He looked away hearing his name being called. "Excuse me please," he said, walking over to the other cooks.

Ash looked up at Chef Zeff, taking in his pegged leg, and his braided mustache. He was sizing her up as well, so she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I love your mustache," she said, then gaped as his cheeks turned pink. It was so adorable that she was immediately taken with him.

"Master Mihawk asked that I observe this fight to its finish," she said. "Would it be all right if I stayed here with you, to watch?"

"Master…?" He cocked an eyebrow at the term. She nodded, embarrassed at the thought of what it might sound like to others. "He is teaching me how to defend myself," she added, and saw him nod at the explanation.

"And how did you and Hawkeye get involved with the pirates?" he asked with a smirk.

Ash grinned. "Never interrupt Master Mihawk's lessons," she stated, making him laugh. He nodded to the empty space on his left, and she moved to stand beside him.

Sanji returned then, smiling at Ash, and she smiled in return. Before he could speak, the young stretchable man bullet-ed out from the restaurant doors, flying over the water and taking out a large group of pirates. Zeff's gaze stayed on the younger man.

"Sanji," Zeff said, and Sanji turned his head to look at him. "Pay attention to how he fights. Don't miss a moment."

* * *

Ash kept her place next to Chef Zeff, mimicking his pose- arms across their chests- and together they observed the melee without speaking.

She took in everything she could, looking left and right, her gaze being drawn from the shouts of the cooks and pirates alike. She still didn't know the dark-haired guy's name, but everyone referred to him as "chore boy", so his words earlier with Chef Zeff made more sense now.

Sanji was by far the most skilled fighter of those protecting the restaurant. In fact, most of the others simply watched him take out the pirates, rather than engaging them. Even the chore boy was enjoying the show as he hung from a mast that was sticking out above the water.

A large man with shields worn as safety gear emerged onto the deck. He called himself Pearl, and she snickered as the chore boy came flying back to the ship, accidentally hitting the back of Pearl's head causing him to face plant on the shield connected to his hand.

His anger was expected, but he took it to a whole new level as he screamed and started everything around him on fire to try to scare the fighters away from him. He and Sanji were soon surrounded by a circle of flames. Don Krieg used this time to try to enter the fight, sending a huge mace on a chain straight for Sanji.

Just in time, the chore boy jumped through the flames in front of Sanji, and sent it sailing back. Ash's awe turned to a wince as she saw him running around, trying to put out the fire on his clothes.

She suddenly let out a noise that sounded like "hyuk!" as an arm wrapped around her throat pulling her against someone at the same time a shotgun hit Chef Zeff in the back, pitching him forward onto the deck. The man holding her put his foot on Zeff's back and said, "this fight, is over."

"Ghin! Kill the geezer, and the ship is ours!" Don Krieg shouted in triumph.

No one moved, and in front of the them, only Sanji and the chore boy stood among flame and debris staring angrily at the man with the gun.

"Hostages?" chore boy yelled. "That's fighting dirty!"

"I'll spare them," the man holding Ash said. "But you have to leave. We are taking this ship, so don't make this any harder than it is. Just go," he said quietly.

Sanji looked down at Zeff. "I can't believe you let this happen to Miss Ashley," he said, the outrage apparent in his voice.

"What did you say, brat?" Zeff shot back.

"I can't do that Ghin," Sanji said, looking back at the man holding onto her. "You should get your grubby hands off Miss Ashley, before I kill you."

Ash was so shocked, her mouth fell open. __Apparently it wasn't only Mihawk who threatened death for minor infractions,__ she thought. __Though, if I were being honest, my stomach has been fluttering since he said that.__

Pearl used the situation to attack Sanji again, though he refused to fight back for fear that Gin would use his shotgun. Chore boy and the other cooks, and even Ghin tried to talk him into fighting or giving up but Sanji just took each hit. After a nasty hit to the face, he fell forward and laid there for a moment.

They were all shocked as he began to get back to his feet, and Ghin called out, "Why are you doing this? Just stay down!"

Sanji smiled, and lit a cigarette. "The old man lost everything because of me. I won't let him lose this restaurant! And I'd rather die than see Miss Ashley harmed!" he yelled.

"No!" Ash yelled, at the same time the chore boy did. The others turned to him, watching in awe as his leg stretched up straight into the sky. He brought it slamming back with a yell of "GUM GUM BATTLE AXE!" destroying the lower platform he stood on.

"He destroyed the fin!" someone yelled.

"Ghin, blow his head off!" Don Krieg shouted. Ghin hesitated and Krieg shouted again. "Do it, do it now! Do not defy me!"

"What's your problem?" the chore boy asked Krieg. "I haven't sunk it, yet."

" _ _What!?"__ Sanji fumed, striding over and grabbing his shirt. "That's what your planning?" He leaned in. "This ship saved my life, so don't even think about it, Straw Hat!"

The boy in the straw hat, pushed Sanji's hand away and grabbed his suit coat in return. "So, what? You'll repay that debt by dying? Are you stupid?"

"Boys, boys" Pearl called out. "There's no reason for friends to fight. You'll BOTH die!" He let out a battle cry and came running for them. Ash let out an "oof!" as Ghin pushed her to the ground next to Zeff. Sanji and Chore boy glanced back, then turned the other direction at the sound of steel against steel. Ghin had rushed forward, pulling out a pair of tonfa and struck Pearl's armor, breaking it to pieces.

* * *

Pirates and cooks alike watched the fight between Sanji and Ghin, each blow seeming like the last that each man could take. Ash felt like she could hardly breathe, seeing Sanji spit out blood, holding his ribs. They went at each other again and she focused on them, tuning out the cheering around her. She gasped as in the end, Ghin stood over Sanji, his hand at Sanji's throat.

 _ _This is all my fault,__ Ash thought in despair. __If I had just let Master destroy these pirates, none of this would be happening!__ Her tears started to fall down her face.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to Zeff. He was utterly calm, and she gained hope from that fact. She couldn't see how Sanji would escape, but if Zeff believed, then so did she. To her shock, Ghin announced that he refused to kill Sanji. Ash turned to Zeff in surprise, and saw the same look across the man's face.

Then she became angry, hearing Don Krieg demean and berate his commander, and inwardly cheering at chore boy's declaration that he would kick Krieg's butt.

 _ _This was the fight I had stayed to observe, after all.__ Ash felt like she couldn't afford to blink. She needed to know what Mihawk was trying to teach her, though she felt she had already learned so much. __If all pirates were like the Krieg pirates, it was no wonder why Mihawk would attack first. And if this was to be expected by this world, my sisters and I had to change in ways I was not sure we were truly capable of.__


	15. Chapter 15: Ash and Sanji

Patty and Carne opened the restaurant doors as the poison gas Krieg had shot at the restaurant dissipated. Ash stood frozen behind Zeff as the men hurried around, trying to save Ghin, as he had saved Sanji.

The chore boy started running towards Krieg, the cooks yelling, trying to bring him back. He could not be swayed, running faster towards the larger man, even as he was shot at. He reared back his hand, and Krieg pulled out his spike covered cape as protection. Chore boy never hesitated, punching through the spikes and crashing his fist into Don Kreig's face.

They all grimaced in sympathy pain seeing the blood running from chore boy's hand. Everyone was silent, listening to him speak to Krieg's prone form about how it wasn't time for him to die.

Sanji sat down heavily on Zeff's other side, bleeding and grimacing in pain. Ash wanted to help him, but continued to stare out at the sight of chore boy standing over Don Krieg.

She watched, disgusted, as Krieg pulled out every dirty trick he could think of. Sometimes, chore boy would avoid the attacks, sometimes they would take him down. But every time, chore boy would go back to the fight.

"He's losing too much blood," Sanji said. "There's no way he can win this with Don Krieg having all those weapons."

"No, you are wrong." Sanji and Ash both turned to Zeff as he spoke. "No matter how many weapons he has, our chore boy can still bring him down, because he has no fear."

They had no response to his words, and looked back out to the two fighters.

"Stand or fall, life or death," Zeff continued. "You cannot have fear, or you will be lost."

"What?" Sanji asked, confusion marking his voice. Ash could not look away, as chore boy got up yet again.

"That kid, when he fights," Zeff stated. "He is not afraid of anything. Even __death."__

"But why?" Sanji asked. "Why does he keep fighting?"

Suddenly she knew what Zeff was telling us. "He has heart," she responded quietly. "He fights because he has something worth dying for. His friends, his dreams…"

She looked to Zeff to see if she was correct. He didn't look away from the fight, but she saw the smirk on his face, and a smile bloomed on her own. She looked over at Sanji, who was staring at the fighters, deep in thought. __I suppose I wasn't the only one learning from this fight.__

They watched, stunned, as it seemed that chore boy was done for. First with explosions, then with bombs in the water destroying what he was standing on, then when Krieg captured him in a steel net. Through it all, chore boy kept fighting to the point where his final blow came just before he fell, exhausted, into the ocean.

The cooks all around them cheered, while the pirates gaped in shock or cried for their captain. Ash looked up as Zeff took her arm, turning to guide her inside. "Sanji, if you're finished daydreaming, go save that kid." Sanji looked up, perplexed. "He can't swim," Zeff added, causing Sanji to jump up in shock.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner, you crazy geezer!" Sanji tore off his shoes and jacket and dove in the water. Ash smiled at Zeff and walked over, picking up the jacket, shoes, and straw hat that were on the ground, then turned back and followed him inside the restaurant.

* * *

Ash hurried out of the room, blushing furiously. Zeff looked up and smirked at her.

"The kid doing okay?" he asked. She had been helping to patch up the chore boy, since the other cooks were busy cleaning up after the adventure.

"Yes," she muttered. "He'll be fine."

"And, Sanji?" he asked, watching as her blush intensified, and she ducked her head, heading outside. She could hear Zeff laughing as he followed her. "Don't let him bother you," he said. "He can't help but flirt with anything female."

His words helped to get rid of her embarrassment, but she couldn't help but be disappointed. Even though she wasn't used to someone flirting with her, it had been nice. On the other hand, she had been so stupefied, she hadn't been acting like herself at all. __You're a warrior,__ she told herself, before smiling in memory. __Yeah, a warrior… and a princess.__

* * *

The bell rang, and the cooks assembled in the restaurant. Zeff offered Ash a seat, and within moments, all the other seats were taken. She watched in confusion as Sanji and chore boy came in, and were directed to sit on the floor. Several of the cooks were smirking, and a few looked nervous. Something was definitely going on.

Suddenly Patty stood up, demanding to know who had prepared the soup. Sanji called out from his place on the floor that he had, and wasn't it good? Ash had been tearing into a steak, and had not yet sampled the soup. She went to pick up her spoon, wanting to try Sanji's cooking, but her hand was covered by Zeff's. She looked over at him, and he shook his head slightly.

"Are you joking?!" Patty asked. "I can't stomach it!"

Her eyes grew wide as cook after cook slammed their spoons down and shouted their displeasure at Sanji's soup. Zeff interrupted, "We don't waste food, eat every drop." She went to pick up her spoon again, but found his hand cover hers, reaching under, and taking the spoon away from her.

Zeff finished his soup and stood, then threw the bowl on the floor, and Ash startled at the sound.

"That tasted like stewed garbage!" he exclaimed. Sanji had finally had enough, and strode over grabbing Zeff by his collar.

"It tastes exactly like yours!"

"What?" Zeff shouted. "Don't flatter yourself!" With a punch, he flung Sanji away. "I've been cooking longer than you've been alive, you little brat!" At that, Sanji jumped up and ran out the door.

Chore boy went and got another helping of soup, and seeing that, Ash grabbed the nearest spoon and tried it.

"Wow," she said as the flavors exploded on her tongue. "I know I don't have a refined palate or anything, but that's delicious!"

"Mm-hmm!" chore boy agreed, forgoing a spoon, and drinking it from his bowl.

"We know it is." Chef Zeff said, looking defeated. "He's an outstanding chef." The cooks all agreed, nodding along.

"You have a funny way of showing it," she said with a frown, and standing up. "Do you even realize that you hurt his feelings?" she asked, seeing the others lower their heads.

"Well, he won't listen to us! He's too hard-headed." Zeff shot back.

"Is that any wonder?" she retorted. "So are all of you!"

The chore boy started laughing, and Zeff turned to him. "You said you were going to the Grand Line, right?" Chore boy nodded. "Will you take him with you?"

He looked surprised at Zeff's offer, but shook his head. "No," he answered. "He wants to stay and cook here with all of you."

"Hmm," Zeff mused. "So, you would need him to tell you himself."

"Yep!" Chore boy grinned, then holding out his plate for the fifth time said, "more food please!"

"More soup for me!" Ash added.

* * *

Knocking on the door, and feeling nervous, Ash wondered if she knew what she was getting herself into. But remembering Sanji's terse farewell to the others had her resolve unwavering. The door opened, and Sanji looked at her in surprise, then grinned. "Miss Ashley, what a pleasant surprise! Would you like to come in… __my room__?!" The last bit sounded a bit eager, she could sense what a disaster that would be, so she gestured outside.

"No thank you, Sanji, I merely wanted to speak to you for a moment." She turned around and leaned on the balcony railing, looking out to the water. Sanji joined by her side, waiting quietly for her to speak.

"It's none of my business, but I wondered if that was truly how you were saying goodbye to Zeff," she said quietly. She could feel his surprise at her words, and assumed he would be angry, so she continued before he could yell. "It's just that… I would give anything to have been able to say goodbye to my parents. __Anything.__ " She paused, calming her emotions before they got out of control. "I just wanted to say, don't let the opportunities pass you by, you don't want to live with regrets." With that, she stood upright and swiftly walked away.

Sanji stood there, watching her leave. He had been scolded and berated many times in his life, but never quite so nicely before. He wondered why she hadn't been able to say goodbye to her parents, and wished he had been quick enough to try to console her. However, her words had struck something within him. " _ _live with regrets…"__ He knew too well what that was like, and no, he didn't want that at all.

He walked slowly through the restaurant with his bags, memories surfacing. Learning to cook, learning to fight. Every memory, every thought involved Zeff, and Sanji wasn't sure what to do. He walked out towards his new ship, his new crew… his new life.

"Sanji." He froze as Zeff called to him. "Take care of yourself, all right?"

 _ _Hold it in, don't cry.. don't cry,__ he told himself, but the tears came anyway. He turned around and looked at the man who not only saved his life, but had given him a new one; full of purpose, full of dreams.

"Chef Zeff!" he called out. "I owe my life to you, you old geezer! SO THANK YOU!" It was all he could say, the tears streaming down his face, as he bowed to show his respect to the chef.

Ash could hardly believe her ears, let alone her eyes. The cooks surrounding her were crying openly as they berated Sanji for causing it. She looked up to Zeff on his balcony, wiping the tears from his own eyes.

"Men should depart without a word, let alone tears," he said and she scoffed. Little did they know that they all had gone up in her estimation. It was wonderful to see how much they truly cared for each other. She grinned as Luffy- turned out Chore boy had a name- called out, "Set sail!"

Ash stepped over to say goodbye to Sanji as he grinned at her. He gave a small bow, saying, "Thank you Miss Ashley, for your wise words."

She smiled, "Good luck Sanji," she said. "I hope you find the all blue."

He grinned even wider, happy that she remembered. "I'm sure you'll find your family soon," he replied.

"San..ji!" Luffy whined, wanting to set sail to his next adventure.

"Goodbye," Sanji said quietly, then raising his voice, said it again. "Goodbye everyone! I'll miss you!" With that, he shoved the boat away from the deck, and jumped aboard, turning to wave to his family, but mostly to the pretty girl that he wished was coming with them.


	16. Chapter 16: The Newest Marine- Reese

Chapter 16- Reese

"All right recruits! Twenty laps, in formation! Hup, two, three, four!"

I counted off with the other recruits as we ran laps around the base, noticing how I was able to keep pace without tiring, and congratulated myself for my hard work.

During my first week, as reality sank in, I had an epiphany of sorts.

Hearing Luffy, Zoro and even Coby talk about their dreams had made me realize that I had spent all my time here without coming a single step closer to my own. I needed to find my sisters, and I needed to be able to join them when I did. In order to do that, I needed to be strong enough to conquer all those that who stood in my way just like Luffy and Zoro did with Captain Morgan.

It could take a long time, but even longer if I didn't focus on my goal. So decided, I refused anything that didn't get me closer to achieving my dream of getting my sisters and getting home. Several of the people I had befriended previously tried to resume our friendship, but I just didn't have time.

I spent all my free time either studying, or working on my training. I had drive and ambition to be the best, to move up quickly. And now, I was finally seeing results.

I glanced up and saw Coby hanging from a rope, washing windows. Due to his past run-ins with pirates, Lieutenant Ripper had decided to start him at the bottom as a chore boy. I had felt bad for him, but he simply took it all in stride, and did every job given to him with gusto, even after getting saddled with Helmeppo.

We finished our laps, and came back to the middle of the field, lining up for drills. There was a loud commotion, and we all turned to see Coby and Helmeppo fighting while on the roof of the mess hall. The officer running our drills ran over, and we followed, wanting to see the action.

There were a few winces from others at the sight of punches or kicks connecting, and no one was prepared for when the two of them rolled right off the roof.

A few of us started walking towards them to help, but froze as we saw the cannon that they had fallen near, was now aimed straight for us. The cannon that had been being used for target practice… the cannon that was probably still loaded…

We scattered as the loud BOOM filled the air. I looked up from my spot on the ground to see the laundry building crumble to the ground. I noticed the terrified look on Coby's face as he realized what had just happened.

* * *

Later that evening, I was making my way to my bunk to study and ran into Coby and Helmeppo outside the barracks.

"Hey Coby," I said, ignoring the moron. "I'm glad you're still with us," I teased with a smile.

"Yeah," he said flushing. "I thought for sure we were done for."

"You sure you're not hurt? That fall looked pretty bad," I asked him.

"Nah, we're okay," he replied.

"Don't just ignore me!" Helmeppo cut in angrily. I glanced over to him, and saying nothing returned to speaking with Coby. The guy may have had no choice but to join the marines, but that didn't mean I had to treat him with respect.

"I'm glad you're okay," I said to Coby, patting his shoulder. "I'll see you around."

"Oh, Reese, hold on," he said, patting his pockets until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a scrap of paper and held it out to me. "Rika gave me this from the newspaper, look!"

I smiled and angled my head to get a better view. "Is that… Luffy?"

Coby laughed and nodded, "yeah, isn't it great? The paper said he was causing a fuss in Loguetown," he said. Then, when I didn't respond he added, "that's the town closest to the Grand Line, Reese. He's almost made it!"

I grinned as I understood. "Wow, that's so cool!" I remarked.

"Chore boys!" We both turned and Coby saluted the officer who called. I didn't get a chance to speak to Coby again, so I continued on to my bunk.

* * *

"Cooper!" I saluted as my name was called, and joined the four other recruits that were sitting in the next room. The Lieutenant followed after me and closed the door.

"Recruits," he began, "you have been selected to assist in the transfer of Captain Morgan to Marine Headquarters."

We all looked at him in disbelief.

"You'll have the honor of seeing Vice Admiral Garp who is coming to accept the prisoner and escort him to Marineford for his court martial." He looked at us as he continued. "You, are the top five recruits and as such I expect nothing but the best from you."

I held back my grin at his words, though inwardly I was beaming. I had gone from the worst to top five, and knew that the extra studying and training was paying off.

"You will report in one hour at the dock. You must be in full uniform." He looked around at each of us, drilling the seriousness of the situation into each of us with just a look. "Dismissed,"he said, as he opened the door.

We stood and saluted, and proceeded back into the training room. One hour. That would give me just enough time to eat, bathe, and get to the docks. I picked up my pace and headed for the mess hall, ignoring those around me.

* * *

An hour later, almost every marine boarded our finest ship, all cleaned up and uniformed. Lieutenant Ripper had even brought Coby and Helmeppo aboard, and when I thought about it, I assumed he was trying to help motivate them by letting them see the vice admiral.

We sailed out to sea, each of us being sent to separate areas of the ship to clean and prepare for meeting the vice admiral. Lieutenant Ripper seemed overly worried, and each of us did what we could to ensure we gave a good impression.

"All hands on deck!"

The shout rang out, and as we rushed into our places, my heart was beating rapidly. This was a great opportunity, a chance to further my career if I made a good showing today. We stood at the railing, and I could hear Coby talking about the vice admiral, saying he was also known as "The Fist". That was quite the title, and I wondered if he really fought with his fists, or if he had simply done something heroic with a fist.

I watched as the other marine ship drew near, the figurehead was a huge dog's face complete with a large bone in its mouth. It looked kind of ridiculous, but I could see how it could be intimidating, it would be hard to mistake it as anything else.

It made much more sense as the ship pulled up to ours, and I caught a glimpse of Garp. He was wearing a helmet style hat that was a dog. The mouth was open, and inside, showed Garp's face. If I were a pirate being hunted by the vice admiral, any sight of a dog would probably freak me out.

He wore a white suit, and a large jacket hanging over his shoulders. Lieutenant Ripper spoke to Garp, and I tried hard not to laugh when the vice admiral admitted to being tired due to a desire to set a record for the most doughnuts eaten in a single sitting. But I wasn't able to stop the smile on my face as his head hung forward and he began snoring.

Morgan used the moment as a chance to escape, slicing Garp across the chest, grabbing Helmeppo and using him as a hostage and shield. Coby and Helmeppo both started screaming and the rest of us stood in shock, unwilling to sacrifice a fellow "marine" to recapture a man like Morgan.

Morgan was given the dinghy, and started to sail away with Helmeppo. Bogard, Garp's right hand man, began giving coordinates to the man stationed at the cannon. As they were about to fire, Coby jumped up to stand in the way.

I stared at my friend, amazed that he had the guts to do such a thing. I could see him shaking, and his voice was cracking as he tried to convince them not to shoot. I couldn't believe he was putting all of his dreams and his life in jeopardy in order to save someone that wouldn't even admit to being a friend.

He defied orders, said he would capture Morgan, and turned and jumped in the water. And… I couldn't believe it, but I decided that moment I was going to help him.

Garp suddenly stood up, yawning. I took the opportunity to board his ship as all the marines were focused on Garp. I ran over to their dinghy and lowered it into the water. I grabbed the oars, and began rowing the boat towards Coby. As I rounded the ships, the marines finally saw me, and started calling for me to come back.

I knew I just destroyed all hope of reaching my goals, but I couldn't let Coby do this alone. I could see he and Helmeppo grabbing onto Morgan, trying to fight him, but doing very little. Suddenly Morgan picked them up, and threw them overboard. Helmeppo yelled after him, swearing he would someday capture him. I grew an inkling of respect for him then.

I hollered at them to get in the boat, and they both turned around, surprised to see me. They clambered inside, soaked and shaking.

"Reese, why did you help us?" Coby asked. "We didn't capture Morgan, and now you'll get in trouble too."

"Yeah, and where did this boat come from?" Helmeppo asked.

"Garp's ship." I replied, as I turned the boat around and headed back to the ship.

 _"_ _ _You stole this from Garp's ship?!"__ Helmeppo screeched, and Coby looked like he would pass out.

"How else was I going to help my friends?" I asked, still unsure of myself.

"Thank you Reese," Coby said with a bow. He grabbed one of the oars and helped me row back.

We were helped onto the ship, and escorted back to where Garp stood. I saluted the vice admiral, and then noticed Coby and Helmeppo kneeling in front of him with their heads on the ground. I thought to join them, but couldn't as I really didn't feel bad for what I had done. If they were going to kick me out, so be it.

The Lieutenant took responsibility for us, as he was our superior, and assured Garp that we would be removed from the marines permanently. My head hung, as I realized the end of my ambition.

Garp agreed, stating that no one would be willing to take us, but that we would also be unfit to be among the civilians. I looked up to glare at him at that. He said he had no choice but to take us with him, to marine headquarters.

Lieutenant Ripper and the rest of the men looked shocked, but no more than the three of us did. The vice admiral simply laughed and commented about what an interesting day it had turned out to be. I couldn't agree more.

* * *

Luffy stretched his head over to look closer as he ate. He was sure he had seen something in the paper Nami was looking at.

"MMM!"

Nami jumped slightly from being startled. "What is it?" she asked, as Luffy swallowed his mouth full of food.

"There! Zoro, come look!"

"What?" she asked again. "It's just a picture of some marines."

"But not just any marines!"

Zoro leaned over to glance at the paper. "Hey, that's Reese," he said.

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "And Coby!"

"Aren't they the ones you were telling us about the other day?" Nami asked. Sanji wandered over to look at the picture, and to be closer to Nami of course.

"Whoa, she's cute!" Sanji said, hearts in his eyes. "Why didn't you invite her to join the crew?"

"I did," Luffy said. "But she was set on being a marine, just like Coby." He turned back to Nami. "So why'd they take their picture?"

"Hmm, it says Vice admiral Garp returns with his crew to Marineford. The picture shown was taken just after the crew crossed reverse mountain. Garp was relaxed and in control, though a few of his newest recruits didn't fare as well."

"Whoa! So Coby and Reese are in the Grand Line too?"

"It said at Marine Headquarters," Zoro added. "Not bad."

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "They're going to be mayors some day."

 _"_ _ _Officers,"__ Zoro corrected. "Idiot."

* * *

Sailing with the vice admiral was an eye opener. His men were so far above any of the marines I had met previously, which made sense, since they came from headquarters. I learned much more about the structure of the marines and realized I had a long way to go. But, I was closer than I had been.

Upon reaching Marineford, I was placed with the others as a chore boy. I could hardly complain, though it felt like a step backwards. There were so many chores, we were kept busy all day long. We stopped frequently to rest, as the boys had a hard time keeping up. We were all in awe of the training the marines here were doing, it made the training when I recruited look like a game.

We were pulled to a stop yet again by Helmeppo, and I pushed the two of them in between two buildings in order to keep them hidden. I used the time to work on my push-ups, as we had just passed the recruits being ordered to do two hundred. I knew I couldn't do that many, so I needed to start building my strength up now.

I was brought back to the present as I heard yelling, and then Coby and Helmeppo came running out and ran right past me. I stood up, and saw the vice admiral standing in between the buildings. I gave him a quick salute, and followed after them.

After a few hours, Coby insisted that we take full shares of the chores, and since I usually finished first, I had some time to sneak in some extra push ups or crunches. Every time Garp came to check on us, he'd give the boys a few punches to motivate them. I started to worry, as he not only didn't hit me, but didn't talk to me either.

I was lost in thought the rest of that day, wondering what the vice admiral was looking for from me. Did he bring me along just because of the boys? No, he didn't seem the sentimental type with kids he had just met.

Did he bring us here just to do chores? No way, there were plenty of recruits here that could do them. So what was he looking for then? Whatever it was, I wasn't showing it.

I was tired, but once we were dismissed, I headed to my room and changed into some plain clothes. I headed out to the field and started on one end. First was the bar, so I did as many sets of pull ups that I could. Once that was done, I went to crunches, then push ups. I was panting heavily by that time, and felt like my limbs were noodles.

I decided to end with running a few miles, and started on the track. Much to my surprise, Helmeppo and Coby joined me as I started my second mile. We didn't talk, but I could see the determination in their eyes, which I hadn't seen before. It seemed we were all on the same page.

The following day as we were weeding the garden, we heard several officers speaking about Luffy. Coby and I smiled to each other, until we heard them talking about executing him. Our smiles turned to looks of anger, and I was much less careful about what I was yanking out of the ground.

Luffy definitely wasn't like other pirates, shouldn't he be given something for saving the town from Captain Morgan? No, it just made his bounty higher. Life could be so unfair.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Sir!" I turned and hastily rose to my feet to join in Helpmeppo's and Coby's salute. Garp was smiling at us, which usually meant pain for the boys.

"You'll come with me now," he said, and the three of us gulped.

* * *

I wasn't expecting Garp to invite us to fight with him, but I was more than happy to accept. Even together, we were literally no match for him. Each time we came in, he'd fling me away, then punch Coby and Helmeppo until they could hardly scrape themselves off the ground.

As they were getting back up, Garp started to walk away. I was livid, and the part of me that kept my mouth shut had given up. I was being treated differently, and I wanted to know why.

"Ahem," I coughed as I came up behind Garp, causing him to turn around. He waited for me to make my move, but I just crossed my arms and glared.

"What's going on here, __Sir?"__ I asked with absolutely no respect. I could hear Coby gasp, but I was too far in now. "Why won't you fight me like you do them?" I demanded as I pointed back at the boys.

"I didn't think you needed the motivation, and besides, I don't punch girls."

"Listen up, Gramps!" I yelled. "I'm not a girl, I'm a MARINE!" I stood, shocked and panting as Garp burst into laughter so hard he started crying.

Suddenly he was serious, explaining how we would now have nightly special training sessions. How he had tested us, to be sure we had the will and determination to succeed with him. He also told us he would keep an eye on the "Luffy Situation" but that we needed to keep that between us.

Coby and Helmeppo straightened into a salute, and Garp turned to walk away. He glanced back at me, a questioning look on his face. I looked at him for a moment, trying to determine the catch, but finding none, I also saluted. Garp continued on his way, laughing harder.

I wasn't sure what had happened, but apparently we showed him something worthwhile. I smiled as I thought of calling him Gramps. He really did remind me of my Gramps, all tough on the outside, and super soft on the inside. I wondered if Garp was the same.

After that, Bogard and Garp met with us each night, Bogard training and Garp observing. Anytime Garp would comment on my form or lack thereof, I'd yell out, "Stuff it Gramps!" or "come show me how it's done!" He would just grin, and go back to observing.

Helmeppo and Coby were appalled that I would speak to the vice admiral in such a manner, but I actually felt much better about my situation. I may not get hit like the boys do, but Garp wasn't going to "pull any punches" with my training either, and I knew he would help me reach my goals.


	17. Chapter 17: Ash Finally Gets It

After Luffy and Sanji left, Ash spent her time with Chef Zeff. He told stories of pirates he had come across, and taught her how to make an easy spicy seafood pasta dish, which she loved.

She shared with him her struggles with Mihawk. He never agreed or disagreed, but he asked questions that made her think, and she tried to see things from Mihawk's perspective. Zeff finished with the question, "Just because you learn how to attack, does that mean you must?"

That night, she slept fitfully, her mind not letting go of the questions, and she turned them over, again and again.

Mihawk returned for her the next morning, two weeks after he had left her there. He was impatient to leave, but she made sure to say goodbye to everyone, and took a few minutes to thank Zeff for his insight and the help he gave her. He gifted her with recipes, and also gave a number which he said was for a transponder snail, so she could get a hold of them and keep them updated every now and then. She couldn't help but give him a hug, then she ran for the boat and Mihawk.

She stopped short at his look and climbed slowly into the boat. "Master," she said calmly.

"Ashley," he replied as the boat began to move.

"Are we headed home?" she asked. __Funny, that I already called Gloom Island that, though I didn't miss much there.__ He didn't answer, and she didn't press the issue. They sailed for some time, seemingly without a destination in mind.

As they sailed, she was simply enjoying the water and the sun. Mihawk gave short lessons throughout the days, from navigation to instructions on the whims of the Grand Line. While she enjoyed the lessons, there was something strange about them. It was as if he was giving her instructions for the future. A future without him.

They stopped for supplies at an island, and she followed Mihawk around as he made purchases. She was curious as to what Mihawk's plan was, as he had always been so straightforward. It seemed like they were wasting time, which was very out of character.

She stopped suddenly as she spotted the wanted posters hanging on a wall as they walked by.

"Master Mihawk," she called to get his attention. As he looked back at her, she pointed to the poster. He stepped back and they both stared at the poster with Luffy's grinning face.

"Whoa, thirty million dollars?" she asked. Mihawk turned to her, looking at her as if she were stupid.

"Berri," he said, considering her still. "Thirty million beri."

"Right, of course," she replied, committing that to memory. __How many beri equaled a dollar? I had no idea, and since I didn't have any money anyway… it didn't matter for now.__

Mihawk took down the poster and rolling it up, handed it to Ash. He turned and strode away, and she rushed to catch up.

* * *

Ash was confused, completely. Once he saw Luffy's wanted poster, Mihawk was suddenly in a hurry. They immediately set sail, and this time there was most definitely had a destination, though she didn't know what it was. After a few days they came upon an island.

It was a smaller island, with a huge mountain taking up the middle of it, and trees all around the base. They pulled up to the shore, and she hurried to secure the boat and catch back up to Mihawk, since he had disembarked and walked straight inland.

They soon came upon some men sitting and drinking, who jumped up when they saw the pair of intruders.

"Wh- what are you doing here Hawk Eye?" a man asked in shock.

"I'm here to see your leader, our business is with him. Move aside." He didn't wait for them to obey, just pushed past them, though the man rushed ahead of them leading them further inland. Along the way, men jumped aside, looking terrified of Mihawk, and she grew concerned. Mihawk never did tell her where they were going, and the men they passed looked like pirates.

She took a chance and asked tentatively, "Master? Who are we here to see?"

"A carefree man apparently, as they are camping on an island. Stay behind me."

She looked ahead to see the man who was leading them, wasn't really leading them. He had gotten further and further ahead. She guessed he was running to warn his captain that Mihawk was here, __but… why? Would his captain run, or try to hide?__

She followed as they came into a clearing where several men sat under a huge red and white striped umbrella. Remembering Mihawk's words about camping, she thought, __more like glamping__ and started giggling to herself.

Trying to keep quiet while laughing, she accidentally let out a snort and had all the men turning to look at them. Mihawk turned his head to scowl at her, and she gave her best "it was an accident" look followed by her "I'm a failure" hang of her head. She had perfected both of these in her time with Mihawk, and it usually worked on small infractions.

"Hey there Hawk Eye," a man in the middle said nonchalantly, and everyone else acted as though nothing was happening. __They didn't even look up!__ She peeked around Mihawk to get a better look at everyone. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

 _ _These men looked like pirates, true, though compared with the Krieg pirates they looked like gentlemen. In fact, the guy speaking was downright pleasant. And I was absolutely loving his hair. People back home paid huge amounts of money to get that shade of red, and most never could.__

 _"_ _ _Just another example of how life was unfair,"__ she thought. _"_ _ _Guys always got amazing hair, or eyes, or even eyelashes, and didn't appreciate it at all."__

"That's quite the scowl. Looks like she's learning from you all right."

Hearing that, she quickly hid back behind Mihawk, and biting down on her lip looked up at Mihawk warily. He was glaring at her harshly now, and no look or head hanging would help her.

"Did you come to settle the score with me?" the red haired pirate asked.

"As if I would fight a one-armed man," Mihawk replied testily. That peaked her interest, and she peeked back around Mihawk. It was hard to tell, what with the cape he wore, but since she knew what to look for, she could tell that his left arm was missing, just under the shoulder.

She looked back up to his face, and found her eyes meeting his. He gave her a smile and a wink, and she gave him a small smile in return.

"Aren't you going to introduce your friend?" he asked. Mihawk sighed and rolled his eyes, no doubt irritated at the man.

"This is my pupil, Ashley." He glanced down at her and said, "That is Red Hair."

"Shanks," the redhead corrected. "I'd come shake your hand, but I'm not feeling very well." Ash looked around, as everything about the pirates was suddenly making sense. There were tell tale signs of the party the pirates had last night, and the umbrella gave them a cool, dark place to sleep it off.

"I ran into a pirate that reminded me of stories you used to tell," Mihawk said to Shanks, which caught his attention. "A strange boy, from a small village?" He gave Ash a nod, and said, "show him."

She pulled out the wanted poster, and held it up for Shanks. She could see several of his men perk up and smile widely.

"Luffy," she heard Shanks say.

Shanks looked at Mihawk, his expression unreadable. "In that case, we can't just let you leave." His men ushered both of them over to the log where Shanks was sitting, and put mugs on a stump in front of them. Shanks began laughing as he poured ale into our mugs.

"Tell me everything!" he exclaimed. "And drink up! We're celebrating!"

She glanced over to her right in question.

"No." Hawkeye said without even looking at her. She sighed woefully, and handed her mug to the man who had sat on her left. He was a tall man with graying hair, who was quietly smoking.

"Aren't you hung over?" Mihawk asked Shanks, looking at his cup in disdain.

"What? No… well not anymore! Come on men, drink up!"

"But boss," a short, round man said. "Weren't you feeling bad because you drank too much yesterday?"

"No way!" Shanks replied. "Besides, we're celebrating! I can't NOT drink!"

* * *

The next morning, Ash asked Mihawk if she could skip her morning run, after all they were vacationing… sort of, and the humandrills weren't here to chase her around. He glared and told her to double her normal hour.

She went to the coast, and ran around the island, and found it was actually nice to have new scenery. She was able to enjoy running just to run, rather than running so she wouldn't die. After circling the island twice, she followed her trail back to camp and was offered breakfast. She turned to look for permission, and Mihawk must have wanted something tastier than her normal fare, because he nodded.

Once finished, she offered to help clean up, but they just laughed and shooed her away.

"Cap'n Shanks would have words with us if we let a guest clean up, not to mention a pretty girl" one of them added with a wink.

Not sure what to do with herself, she wandered back to the main area of camp, seeing that most of the men were again sleeping off their party from the previous day. Seeing Benn Beckman, awake and sitting alone, she moved over to talk with him. Having found out yesterday that the man she had been sitting next to was the first mate of the crew, she had plenty of questions.

He looked up as she walked over.

"Not much happening," he commented.

"I'm used to it," she replied. "though there are far less chores, which is great!" she winced and hunched over. _"_ _ _Did he hear me?"__ she whispered, looking over her shoulder at Mihawk.

Benn laughed, and stood up. "Come on then. How about we have a spar?"

"What, really?" she asked in surprise. According to Shanks' introductions last night, Benn was the best fighter of the entire crew. Even in sparring, she would certainly learn something to give her an advantage against Mihawk.

"Sure, we pirates always like to have fun. My fun is just different from most of the others," he told her with a wink.

Once they got to a large clearing, she began stretching, and noticing him waiting for her, she asked if he wanted some time to stretch, and he simply laughed. He proved very quickly that she didn't stand a chance against him, but even in failure, she knew she was learning. She kept getting back up each time he knocked her down.

After the best part of an hour, Shanks walked into the clearing they were using and she wondered how he found them. They had gone far from the camp in an attempt to not have an audience, and traversed far from any path. Shanks observed for only a minute or so before walking up to her.

"Ashley, you'll never get the upper hand if you can't read your opponent," he said, and she sagged, dejected.

"That's something I can't seem to do," she said depressingly. "No matter how hard I try, or how long I work."

Benn came over also, lighting a cigarette. "It's not difficult, once you have the basics," he said. "You must take what you know into the entire fight, not just what you are going to do."

"I'm not sure I understand," she admitted.

"That last move, the roll into a sweep of legs, how could it be countered?" She thought about it for a moment. "Once you have that, you can see which counter will be used based on the way your opponent moves."

"That's a lot of thinking in a small amount of time," she complained. "There is usually only a split second to make a decision."

"True," Shanks agreed with a laugh. "That's where the practice comes in. It needs to be muscle memory, and once that happens, your speed will also increase."

"But," Benn added. "there can also be no hesitation. You must give your all, or you will fail."

The two men looked at her in surprise, as she hung her head. __It always came back to this__. "I suppose it's crazy, but… I don't want to fight others. I know I need to learn to fight, and I want to keep my family safe…" she trailed off, almost ready to scream or cry, she was so frustrated. __Why did my dream have to be so unattainable?__

"Ashley."

She looked up into Benn's face. He was looking at her with compassion, and it was almost her undoing.

"How often do you think that I have to fight?"

She glanced at Shanks, and he just shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess, whenever you run into other pirates?"

Now they both laughed, and she felt her face heat in embarrassment.

"No," Benn said kindly after a moment. "Shanks prefers partying to fighting, and with our reputation, most pirates run away rather than face us." She looked at Shanks for confirmation, and he gave an innocent smile. "Really, these days I don't have to fight at all. But Ashley… I am still __able to."__

"It may seem strange," Shanks added. "To fight so that one day you won't need to."

"No, actually, that makes sense," she said, thinking back to Zeff's words that were eerily similar.

"Of course, it's different for Hawk Eye," Shanks added.

"Right," she agreed as she nodded. "Being the best means he'll forever have people challenging him for the title. I've already seen plenty of people try."

"Yeah," he sighed, then gave a grin and put his arm around her. "Now Ashley, let me tell you a few things about fighting with Benn…" he said loudly, pretending to whisper.

She grinned back at both of them. "My friends call me Ash," she offered.

* * *

Mihawk stepped quietly into the clearing, to let Red Hair know he was leaving. They had talked about it at length, and Red Hair assured him that Ashley would be fine in their care. He didn't like that that had grated on his nerves.

What he saw however, made him pause. Ashley was sparring with Beckman, and she was attacking. He could tell that Beckman was holding back, and quite a lot at that, but what amazed him was that she was pressing her advantage. He smirked as he saw her use a complicated move that he had just taught her before they left Gloom Island.

"Not bad, really." He glanced over at Shanks, as he appeared at his right side. He could see the smirk on his face, and did not appreciate it. "Yeah, that Ash is quick. I'm sure we'll make her into quite the pirate before we're done."

"I know what you are doing Red Hair," Mihawk replied.

"Me?" Shanks was the picture of innocence, and Mihawk rolled his eyes.

Mihawk watched as Ashley noticed them, and took a hit she could have avoided. "Distractions Ashley!" he snapped out, seeing her wince, but refocus.

The fight came to a halt a few minutes later as Beckman laid her out on her back. She rose up and gave him a bow, and a handshake, then came over to the two spectators.

"Master," she said with a small nod of her head, and Mihawk returned the gesture.

"Ash, that was much better! Good work!"

"Thank you, Captain Shanks, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help, both of you."

Mihawk felt his ire rising, so he cut them off. "Ashley, I'm preparing to leave. Red Hair has offered you a place with them, to continue your training." He meant to stop there, but somehow, he kept speaking. "Otherwise, say your goodbyes. You have five minutes."

Ashley looked at him in surprise, glancing at both Shanks and Beckman, before reaching out to Red Hair and giving him a hug.

"Thank you so much Captain Shanks! I'm sorry we can't stay longer!" Mihawk froze as he had turned to leave, her words stopping him in his tracks. "Goodbye Benn, thank you for all your help!" she said as she threw her arms around him as well.

She hurried past them, running to gather her things and make her farewells. Mihawk stared with a frown, uncertain of what was happening. He'd been certain that she would want to stay.

"What'd I tell you Benn? Knew he couldn't let her go." Mihawk glared at them, then walked away as they both began to laugh.


	18. Chapter 18: Kia Meets the Straw Hats

Kia was eating breakfast when the alarm sounded, three long blasts on a horn. She ran to her room and hurriedly put on extra layers, grabbed her bag and rushed outside. Dalton's house was the meeting place, for any emergencies, and he was already being briefed by Don, one of the villagers that was on guard duty.

"-but I don't recognize their jolly roger."

More people began to gather, and finally Dalton turned to us. "Everyone! There is a pirate ship heading our way!" He stopped as everyone around began to mutter or yell out angrily. "All those that can, grab a weapon and come with me! We will ensure pirates cannot come into our country again."

Everyone moved, running to get weapons or additional clothes for the weather. Dalton had refused to give Kia her own weapon until his training with her was completed, so when she went to ask for a rifle, Dalton handed her a small hammer. She was certain the look she gave him portrayed her displeasure, but he ignored it.

Minutes later, they trudged out into the snow, heading toward the river's end, where the ship was moored. As they neared the place, Dalton sent half of their number to the left, so that they could surround the ship. They spread apart from each other, and all together headed forward in a large circle as quietly as they could.

Kia could see the sails, and the Straw Hat's jolly roger, and felt a thrill run through her. As the villagers snuck in, the Going Merry came completely into view. She could see the crew members on the deck speaking to each other, and she knew her eyes were lighting up in awe.

"YOU CAN GO NO FURTHER, PIRATES!" Dalton suddenly yelled from beside her. He had refused to separate from her. "Leave immediately! You are not welcome."

"This is how pirates are normally greeted Luffy, not like on Whiskey Peak," she heard someone say. If she had to guess who it was, she would have said Zoro, but she couldn't be sure.

"We have someone who is sick! Please, we need a doctor!" Vivi called out to them.

"Yeah, right." Several villagers began yelling back or muttering, and one man said, "like we'd fall for that again!" which caused several men to look embarrassed, and made Kia snicker. Dalton gave her a glare, which stopped the laughter, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She looked back at the Straw Hats and saw Luffy staring at her, and she couldn't decipher the look, and stepped closer to Dalton.

Gerald, who was standing on the other side of the ship, aimed his pistol and yelled, "Leave or we'll shoot!"

"Just great, they already hate us and we haven't even said hello," Sanji said in mutter, though his voice carried to everyone. Gerald glared, and fired, shooting the deck inches from Sanji's feet. Kia instinctively stepped forward bearing her hammer, though what she would do, she wasn't sure. Dalton held his arm in front of her, to keep her from moving.

Sanji threatened the man, and crouched to attack. Gerald shot again just as Vivi ran over to hold Sanji back. Vivi fell and the crew yelled out her name in horror.

Kia didn't remember throwing it, but her hammer flew through the air and hit Gerald, knocking him out. Several villagers turned their glares to her, and the pirates looked at her in surprise, and Dalton ordered the pirates not to move.

"They didn't even do anything!" Kia hissed at him. He stopped, surprised, as she had never been angry with him before. He took a moment, and reassessed the situation. Vivi and then Luffy begged him for help.

"Follow me, I will take you to our town," Dalton finally said, and turning to the men, "If you are on guard duty, please return. If not, you are free to head back. I'll take responsibility for the pirates."

"Responsibility for Kiana you mean," someone nearby muttered.

"Say that again…" Kia said lowly. She was full of adrenaline, and ready for a fight. She glared at each of them as they started back towards town. Most of the Straw Hat pirates came ashore to follow as well. She waited until everyone was moving, then followed in the back. She knew she wasn't doing anything to endear herself to the villagers, but they were quick to judge, and refused to look at the bigger picture, which was a constant source of frustration for her.

She looked ahead to see Dalton speaking with several members of the pirate crew. She reminded herself not to refer to them by name, even in her head. It would be very easy to give herself away, and she wasn't ready to try to explain anything. She thought as she continued to follow Dalton, as the villagers broke away and went about their business.

"Dalton, I'm looking forward to the election in two days! Everyone I've spoken to says that they are going to vote for you!" John, one of the eldest villagers said in passing.

Dalton froze, then panicking replied, "I'm sure that can't be true, I'm just an ordinary citizen!"

Once inside Dalton's home, he sent Kia to build a fire, and helped get the sick woman situated on the bed. He continued to give information to the crew as Kia pulled off her jacket and scarf, and started to stack kindling and wood. __I'd need to build a pretty big fire to warm the house up quickly,__ she thought.

"I'm Dalton, captain of the island's security squad, and that's Kiana," she didn't turn, merely held up a hand and waved to them behind her.

"Will you tell us about the witch or whatever she is? We need to find her, Nami's fever is getting worse!" Vivi stated.

"We have to find that witch NOW!" Sanji demanded.

"She is nearly 140, and quite eccentric. See the mountain, there in the middle? The tallest one? On the top, is a castle, and that is where Dr. Kureha lives." Dalton sighed, then continued. "Every now and then she comes down, finds people to treat, then takes whatever she wants from them as payment. Oh, and she like pickled plums," he added.

"She sounds really mean," Usopp muttered.

"She sounds kinda like a pirate," Luffy replied.

"How would an old woman get down a mountain like that?" Vivi asked incredulously.

"One rumor is she rides a sleigh through the night sky," Dalton said. "Others say they see her with a strange creature- "

"Dalton…" Kia said, rolling her eyes. Neither of them said anything further as Luffy walked over to the bed and began lightly slapping Nami's cheek. Once she opened her eyes, he told her that they've got to climb a mountain to get her to the doctor. His companions all begin to argue with him, but she didn't hear what they are saying, because she was too busy beating herself up.

Kia had been trying for the past week to get the ropeway back up and running, even enlisting people from other towns, and they had made good progress over near the East side of the mountain, but it wasn't ready.

She wanted to prevent Luffy from having to scale the mountain, but she had failed.

She tuned back in as Sanji said "I'm going too!"

Dalton asked them to go to the East side of the mountain, in order to avoid the Lapins, and began to explain the danger that they are. Kia headed to the kitchen and came back with a bag and an old sword.

"They don't have time for that!" she said loudly, interrupting Dalton, and handing the bag to Sanji, said, "here's some dried meat, it should help you regain some strength, and you can use this to carry her."

"Hey, thanks!" Luffy said with a grin. "You're the best!"

"And so cute too!" Sanji smiled at her, and Kia made a shoo-ing gesture with her hand, even as she smiled back at them. The two of them got Nami situated and took off running, Sanji berating Luffy for jostling Nami on his back.

Usopp and Vivi declined to return inside, so Dalton and Kia stayed with them, though she went back in to retrieve her jacket and scarf. As she came back outside, she could hear Dalton telling them about the Blackbeard Pirates' attack on the island. Kia braced herself, she knew what would come next, as it was the one thing that the two of them didn't agree on. She would argue continuously with Dalton about it, both of them unable to change the others' view.

"There was only five of them, but they destroyed the entire country," Dalton was saying. "What's more, some, like Kiana, believed it was good for the country."

Kia glared at Dalton's back, then turned and strode away. She knew that they were going to take Usopp and Vivi to find Dr. Kureha soon, so she ignored the chance to argue again, and went to get the sleigh prepared. As she left she heard Usopp say, "That's crazy! How could she think that?"

Dalton was a good guy, and Kia knew he would try to explain why she felt the way she did. It was simply really. If the pirates hadn't come, Wapol would never have left. True, bad things happened, but having Wapol gone was the best thing to happen to Drum Kingdom in a long time.

Once Dalton's rams were hitched to the sleigh, she walked back to the small group. She could hear Wapol's name as she came near, and found it impossible to be annoyed at Dalton for bringing it up.

"But, when we ran into him yesterday, he said he was a pirate! Not a king!" Vivi exclaimed.

Kia chose that moment to butt in. "He's only pretending to be a pirate while he tries to find his way back here, to reclaim his throne, " she said disgusted.

"Kiana, you don't know that for sure," Dalton replied calmly. "Wait, yesterday?" He asked Vivi, alarmed.

"Oh, I get it. So he and those men were kicked off the island because they were no match for the pirates?" Usopp asked.

"No." Dalton said flatly. Kia could see how upset he was, so she took over the explanation.

"As soon as he saw how powerful the pirates were, he grabbed all his men, and all the doctors and ran away. He left everyone here to the mercy of the pirates," she said.

Vivi was also fuming. "What kind of king could do that?!" she raged.

"The kind that is NOT welcome back."

"Our people have come together, to build a new country," Dalton said.

"So say whatever you want about me," Kia said, with attitude towards the men. "But something good came from those pirates attacking the island. The country cannot afford for Wapol to come back now."

Usopp looked at Dalton and Kia and asked, "Who are you guys?"

"What do you mean?" Dalton asked as he and Kia looked at each other.

"Well, Dalton, you don't speak like any old citizen, you speak as someone who was military. And Kiana, well… you act as if you don't belong here." She was taken aback, and he explained. "You say this island or the people, not my island or our people."

"You're right," Dalton said with resignation. "Kiana is not originally from Drum Kingdom, and I used to serve as captain of the guard, under King Wapol's father, and also Wapol. During that time, Wapol created many new laws, exiling all but twenty of the doctors from the island. These twenty MDs were to serve only him, and the people in need of medical care had to beg the king and hope that he would show mercy on them."

"That's not a king, that's a TYRANT!" Vivi yelled, appalled.

* * *

"They say Dr. Kureha is headed to Gyasta," Dalton said. "Ice skating is popular there."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Usopp growled.

"Dalton!"

The four of them looked over at the doorway and Don limped in the door, covered in blood.

"Please, help us! They killed everyone!"

"Who Don?" Dalton asked, holding the man to keep him from falling. He lowered him gently to the floor. "Who is they?"

"It was… Wapol… and his men," Don said before going limp.

Dalton paused for only a moment, then sprang up and ran out the door. Kia jumped up to follow him, but was stopped by Usopp grabbing her arm.

"Let go, I have to help!" she said, squirming to get away. People gathered around, curious to know what was happening. She raised her voice, yelling as loud as she could. They needed to know, and they needed to get to Big Horn as quickly as possible to help Dalton.

"WAPOL HAS RETURNED! FOLLOW DALTON TO BIG HORN! PROTECT THE COUNTRY! HURRY!"

Everyone scurried, rushing to grab their weapons, racing after Dalton's trail, eager to help him. Kia turned back to Vivi and Usopp. "Come on. Get back in the sleigh."

"What good will it do for us to go back to Big Horn?" Usopp questioned.

"We're not," she replied, firmly, still looking in the direction Dalton had gone. "I'm taking you to Gyasta."

"We should have seen the sign by now." The sleigh was moving quickly, and based on the position of the mountain, Kia knew she had gone too far. The rams were nervous also, and she wondered what was going on. She pulled on the reigns, and the rams stopped, though they still skittered nervously.

"Kiana? What's the problem?" Usopp asked.

"Do you feel that?"

Vivi gasped, "It's an avalanche!"

"Run!" She yelled at them, as she cut the harness so the rams could run free. She caught up quickly to the other two as they ran for their lives. Kia didn't know much about surviving an avalanche, but knew they needed to be able to breathe once covered by the snow. Peeling off her jacket, she held it overhead, yelling for Vivi and Usopp, and moving as far to the side as she could. They slid down beside her, and they pulled the jacket over all their heads just as the snow hit.


	19. Chapter 19: Kia Doesn't Belong

Opening her eyes, Kia realized she was no longer buried in the snow. She may have been freezing, but she was alive. She could hear Vivi yelling at Usopp, and moved to get up. She made it up to her knees before the dizziness stopped her from standing upright.

"Vivi, stop hitting him, he'll be okay now," she said as she crawled over to them.

"Oh, Kiana! I'm so glad you're all right!"

After the dizziness passed, she looked around for her jacket and spotting the sleeve, unearthed it from the pile of snow it was buried in. She shook it out and put it on, though it was cold. She then helped Vivi pull Usopp to his feet, and the two of them checked him over.

"Thank you Kiana, truly," Vivi said, and Kia gave her a smile.

"Just Kia." She gave Usopp's arm a tug and started walking. "Come on, we'd better get going."

"Going?" Vivi asked. "To where? And do we even know where we are?"

Kia smiled, but before she could answer Usopp interrupted. "Wow, that was intense! And, my face feels puffy, like it's swollen."

Vivi and Kia shared a glance, her with a smile, and Vivi looking embarrassed. "Must be the cold, perhaps frostbite," Vivi said.

"Or maybe you landed face first?" Kia added. She shared a look with Vivi again and they smiled at each other. __This would just be our secret.__

We continued to walk, with Vivi and Usopp following me, when a large snow bank exploded outward startling us. Standing there, was a man dressed only in black pants with green hair, obviously freezing.

"Zoro!" the three of them cried, though Kia's exclamation was under her breath. He was so close, she couldn't help but stare, and missed the odd look that Vivi sent her way. Zoro looked almost as she pictured, though his hair was a little longer on top. She had thought that all the strength training was an exaggeration, but it looked like every single muscle he had was defined. He was most definitely cut, and she couldn't help but ogle him a little, though she tried to do so discreetly.

"Oh, hey Vivi… and Usopp?"

"Yeah."

His eyes turned hard as he turned to Kia. __If I had to guess, I'd say they were gray, because at the moment they reminded me of steel.__

"And who's this?"

"This is Kia," Vivi said. "She's helping us."

"Helping you wander around in the snow?" he said, unimpressed.

"You're one to talk," Kia replied sarcastically, taking off her jacket and holding it out. "Here take this."

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"You're half naked and shivering."

"No I'm not."

"Whatever."

"Fine."

Kia gave a fake smile, and putting her jacket back on said, "I hope you freeze then." Unexpectedly, he just looked at her, as if she were a riddle he was trying to solve. After a moment, she was unnerved and said, "What?"

"Nothing."

She rolled her eyes. __Now I knew why Sanji was fighting with Zoro all the time, he can be super annoying,__ she thought.

"Let's get moving!" Vivi said cheerfully.

The four of them continued on towards Big Horn. It was the closest town to where they were, and Kia was feeling uneasy as she led them. __I thought I had remembered all of the pertinent information about the Straw Hat's visit to the island, but I was wrong. How could I have forgotten about the avalanche? What else have I forgotten?__

"Winter swimming?" she heard Usopp question Zoro. "You're stupid aren't you?"

"Just shut up and give me your coat," Zoro growled.

"No way."

"Your shoes?"

"Nope."

"Not even one?"

"You did this to yourself. Besides, Kia offered you a coat, and you refused."

"I can't take her jacket, then what would she have?" Kia smiled to herself. __Maybe Zoro wasn't such a pain after all.__

"Oh? But it's okay to take mine?" Usopp questioned.

"Yeah, so how about it?"

"Not a chance."

She interrupted their chat by turning and saying, "We made it!"

"Made it?" Vivi asked, "Is this Big Horn? Everything looks so different, the houses are practically covered."

Kia noticed the crowd of villagers squared off against a group of men that were all wearing the same thing, like a uniform… "Dalton!" she cried, and took off.

She ran for the people, Zoro keeping pace, with Vivi and Usopp trailing behind them. They reached the group, and Kia couldn't speak at first, as she panted. Zoro seemed hardly winded and asked, "What's going on here?"

"Dalton is buried in the snow," a man answered.

"Yeah, and we can't get to him because those guards are blocking us" another added.

"What?!"

Zoro gave Kia that same look again, and she glared at him in return.

"If you want him so badly," the guard in front mocked them, "you can always come and fight us all, ha ha!"

"You bet I will!" Kia strode forward, grabbing someone's rifle as she went. She headed straight for the guard who had mocked them. Before she could reach him, however, Zoro stopped her.

He muttered, "I got this," and ran straight for the mocking guard punching him in the face, knocking him out. He wasted no time, and everyone simply stared, as he stripped the man of everything but his pants and hat. "Ah! So warm!" he said happily.

Kia just stood there laughing as the remaining guards attacked Zoro, and he quickly defeated them, then berated them for not being enough of a challenge. The villagers went into motion, running forward to go look for Dalton. She joined them as well, saying "Thank you" to Zoro as she passed him.

It didn't take long to find him with all of the people looking, but Dalton was in really bad shape. He had been shot with arrows, and buried this whole time in snow. His pulse was very weak, and Kia wasn't sure what to do. She stopped anyone from pulling out the arrows, as she had heard that was wrong and could cause the person to bleed out.

A group of men dressed in lab coats approached and offered to help him. Several people including Usopp refused, saying they were the twenty MDs, and they were loyal to the king. There was no better option, and Dalton would die if she didn't accept, so Kia agreed. She could see the anger on a few faces, but ignored it. All she cared about was making sure another friend didn't die.

* * *

Vivi sat with Kia as she waited, trying to console her, but she just sat, unresponsive, watching the doctors scurry around. She tried to think, tried to remember what was coming. Originally, she had felt like she had some sort of gift, knowing how the story would go, but now she worried- she was forgetting too many things. She felt she could have prevented this, ALL of it. Every option that came into her head was looking better than how this ended.

Vivi suddenly grabbed her hand, and gave it a squeeze. "This isn't your fault Kia," she said quietly. Kia hung her head, unable to look at her. "Sometimes, even when you do your very best, bad things happen. But that doesn't mean that you stop trying."

"And if you don't do your best?" Kia asked, still berating herself.

"The men told me that Dalton stepped in front of the arrows, they weren't aimed for him, but for the villagers." She paused as Kia took that in. "Even if you had been here, could you have stopped him?"

Kia sat quietly, thinking. Even if he had known of the outcome, Dalton probably would still have stepped in front of the villagers. He was that type of person, wanting to help, wanting to protect.

"Thanks Vivi."

* * *

No matter who tried, Dalton could not be convinced to remain in bed. He refused to rest until Wapol was driven from the land, and the people were safe again. Usopp was moved by his determination, and offered to carry him up the mountain, and Zoro finally stepped in to help.

Kia stepped up to Usopp, and whispered that since it was his idea, she was still giving him hero points for it, even if Zoro was the one carrying it out- literally. He grinned, and jumped into a speech about Captain Usopp always having heroic ideas.

Someone called out about using the rope ways instead of trying to climb the mountain, and Kia wondered if the people from Symdal had been able to get it connected. They followed the man to the outskirts of Gyasta, and she felt like the world's biggest idiot as she looked at the rope. There was a single rope way connected between the top of the mountain, and Dr. Kureha's original home. __If I had used my brain, instead of relying on my so called knowledge, I would have realized she needed one to come down to treat others,__ Kia yelled at herself.

Everyone there tried to board, and eventually Kia pushed a few people out and shut the door on them. They were angry, but the car couldn't handle the weight. As it was, it would take twice the normal time to reach the summit.

Vivi spent the time trying to keep Dalton calm, though it wasn't working. He was working himself up into a fit of rage thinking of Wapol, and the way he and the people were treated by the ex-king. He groaned in pain, and was coughing up blood. This rage seemed different, calculated, and Kia finally asked.

"Dalton? What are you planning?"

He pulled out several sticks of dynamite and everyone gasped. "Everyone take cover when we get there. Once I am inside, there will be explosions."

"No Dalton," Kia said firmly. He glared up at her, but she wasn't budging. "These people, they NEED YOU." She knelt down in front of him, and looked him in the eye. "I won't lose another friend, not when I can do something about it." She reached down and pulled the dynamite away, and threw it out of the rope way car.

Dalton looked stunned, then furious. "I would gladly give my life to end the reign of that evil man!" he yelled at her, which just made her own temper spike.

"And I would gladly give mine so that you don't have to!" She was sure more than Dalton's mouth hung open at that, but she didn't look. The car had arrived at the top, and she hopped over the side and ran up the stairs, hoping that Luffy had already beaten Wapol, so Dalton could rest. Although, she was wanting to see his fighting in action, she knew it would be better all around if Wapol was already gone.

"Kia, wait!" Usopp yelled behind her, and she could hear pounding footsteps of people behind her. She pushed the metal door open, and looked around the castle grounds. Zoro and Usopp exited behind her, and Usopp came over and grabbed her arm. "You can't just go running off like that!"

"RAAAHHH!"

The three of them looked up at the yell, and saw something falling towards them.

"Ah! Luffy!" Usopp screeched.

"Luffy!?" Zoro grimaced.

Kia stepped back, not wanting to be hit, but didn't make it out of the area of impact. She pushed up out of the snow, to see Usopp laying motionless, Zoro yelling, and Luffy laughing.

And… she stared. __He looked normal enough, and I don't know what I was expecting- his skin to look rubbery? Although standing outside in the snow in sandals and shorts wasn't exactly what I would call normal.__

Vivi walked out of the doorway, "Kia, you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, looking at Vivi. She looked back to the guys, finding Luffy looking at her. She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"You look familiar," he said.

"You met her earlier in town, after we left the ship," Vivi told him.

"No, that's not it," he replied.

Kia didn't pay attention to what was going on around her now, because she had spotted Chopper, standing behind us "hiding" behind a tree. She couldn't help but grin, and she gave a small wave with her hand in front of her chest so that the others couldn't see, and wouldn't spot him.

Dalton fell to his knees behind her, and Kia spun around. Before she could help him, he spoke to Chopper, thanking him for never giving up, for helping the kingdom. The men from the rope way car came running out of the stairwell, and noticed Chopper as well. They all started talking about what he could be, and Usopp screamed "Monster!"

Dalton and Kia kept the men from shooting, but Chopper ran off, and Luffy chased after him. Feeling bad, Kia looked around, and noticed Dr. Kureha standing by the castle door, so she walked over to talk to her about helping Dalton. It didn't take long for Dr. Kureha to wrangle everyone inside, using intimidation and violence, of course. The men were terrified of her, and after seeing her kick Zoro in the head, so was Kia.

* * *

Helping Dalton into a bed and getting comfortable, Kia winced as she heard the doctor treating Sanji's hurt back in the next room. His screams were horrific enough, but the cracking sounds from his back were worse.

"Kiana."

She looked at Dalton, reaching over to help him as he tried to sit up. "You're going to be just fine Dalton, and so is this country," she said with a smile.

"And you, Kiana?"

Her smile vanished. "I'll be fine too." He rolled his eyes at her, with an unbelieving look. He reached over and took her hand.

"You'll never find them by staying here," he said softly. She could feel the stares of everyone in the room on her back, and felt exposed. "You don't belong with us Kiana, you know that."

If she had been thinking clearly, she would have understood what he was saying, but she had just been thinking about not wanting to talk about her family where all the villagers could hear. At his last words, she looked up in shock, and it broke the hold she had on her emotions, and her eyes filled.

"Yes, I'm well aware," she responded. "Don't worry, I'll leave as soon as I can." Standing, she quickly left the room, not stopping even when she heard several people scold Dalton before she turned the corner and started running away.

Wanting to be alone, Kia headed up another floor and then picked a random room and walked out to the balcony to look at the sky. __Dr. Kureha will probably let me stay here, at least for a little while,__ she thought, depressed. She heard a shout, and looked down. Usopp was building a snowman, Zoro was just sitting there, and Luffy was shouting for Chopper to stop hiding and join his crew.

Kia smiled through her tears. __I hadn't messed anything up too badly, the story was still progressing, so I should be happy, right?__

She had always thought this story was so moving, so emotional. Seeing it here before her was even more so. Chopper stepped out of the trees, and argued as to why he couldn't go, why he didn't belong with the pirates. She no longer knew if she was crying for Chopper or herself, but the tears kept falling. __I didn't belong, literally. I should be home, preparing for another year of college, not trying to learn to survive in a world gone mad. I wanted my home, my sisters… I wanted my life back.__

* * *

"Shouldn't we go in and say goodbye?" Luffy asked.

"No, we should give Chopper time to say goodbye to Doctorine, they've been together six years and it will probably be hard on them both," Nami replied. "Besides, I'm not very happy with Dalton right now."

"Why not?" Usopp asked.

"Dalton told Kia that she didn't belong here, it was very strange," Vivi replied. "She got upset and ran out. Actually, I thought we may find her out here."

"He said that? I can't believe it, they seemed like good friends," Usopp said.

"Who's Kia?" Luffy asked, confused.

"The girl you met earlier," Usopp said. "With the brown hair? Helping Dalton?"

"Oh, right!"

"After everything she did… that's crazy!"

"What did she do?" Zoro asked.

Usopp began holding up his fingers as he recounted. "First she stopped the villagers from attacking the ship, she gave us that sword to hold Nami on Luffy's back -"

"She gave me meat!" Luffy added.

"That too. Then she and Dalton took us around looking for the doctor. She helped us, even when she wanted to go fight Wapol."

"She saved our lives when the avalanche hit," Vivi said.

"Yeah," Usopp sighed. "She helped save Dalton's life too. And then, she took away the dynamite he wanted to use to blow up Wapol and the castle."

Luffy made a "hmm" sound, and the others turned to look at him. "If she doesn't belong here, then she'll belong with us!"

* * *

Chopper headed back to the treatment rooms, pausing when he heard the men moving around downstairs. __No matter, I gotta talk to Doctorine!__ He nearly bumped into a girl as he rushed up the stairs. She smiled at him, and he recognized her from before. She had smiled and waved to him, when everyone else was calling him a monster. And, she smelled familiar, so why couldn't he remember?

"Good luck Chopper" she said quietly. "I know you'll be happy as a pirate." With that, she continued on down the stairs without looking back.

Chopper was confused. __How did she know?__ He walked on to the treatment room. He stopped just outside as he heard his name, and listened.

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean it's right," Doctorine said. "The girl obviously wants to go, you didn't have to make her feel unwanted."

"She was feeling guilty, that makes her stubborn. Believe me, I know. I had to give her a push. She'll never make her dream come true if she stays here," Dalton replied testily.

"She wants to become a doctor? She can do that here now."

"That's what she says," Dalton sighed. "And that may truly be part of it. But really? She wants to find her family. She was left here, alone and lost. She wants to be found."

Doctorine cackled. "So the girl wants to belong, and you tell her she doesn't? Seems wrong."

Chopper peeked inside the room. They must have been talking about the girl on the stairs.

"Kiana already belongs somewhere. She needs to leave to find where."

"Kiana..." Chopper mused, glad he had her name now.

"Chopper? Is that you? Where have you been all day?"

Chopper took a deep breath. "Doctorine, I have something to tell you."

* * *

Kia strode out the door resolutely, rope tied around her hips and carrying a length of chain in her arms. She smiled as she thought of running into the little reindeer. __It had been nice to be able to see Chopper again before he left. He really was adorable, it would have only been better if I could have hugged him.__

She could see the Straw Hats, waiting for Chopper to come out so they could get back to their ship. She ignored them, and hurried over to the rope way. She could hear Vivi calling her name, but she didn't stop. A long goodbye now would only make her feel worse.

She hurried down the stairs, and headed to the rope car. She knew she had to do this quickly, or else Luffy might be able to stop her. She had been thinking this through while up on the balcony, and this was the best plan she could devise.

She wanted to get back down to Big Horn, and get her things out of Dalton's before he came back. Dr. Kureha would probably keep him for another day at least, so she had time if she got down there. The problem was, the rope way car needed to stay up here, for the people at the castle. Without Chopper, they would have no other way down. Also, once Chopper was ready to go, the sleigh with six people would come rushing down the rope way.

With those two things in mind, Kia's plan became… a zip line. Normally, she loved zip lines, as they were either not that far off the ground, or had some sort of safety harness. This would be coming from the top of a mountain, at dusk, while it was snowing. The rope also worried her, as she didn't want what she was using to slide down to break or burn due to the friction, so when she had found the chain, she snatched it.

Kia had tied a makeshift harness around herself with the rope. Now the plan was to loop the chain through the harness, throw both ends over the rope way, hold onto the ends of the chain for dear life and slide down. Then as she neared the bottom, letting go of the chain, and falling a short distance into soft snow.

 _ _Well, that was the plan anyway,__ she thought nervously.


	20. Chapter 20: Kia Finds Her Place

Kia walked down the stairs, quickly but not rushing. She hoped there wasn't anyone near the car, but was a realist, and knew her luck was never that good.

As she neared the car, she looped the chain through the rope of the harness, and pulled it through so she had an even amount on both sides. Then, she took a deep breath and headed for the car.

Luffy and Usopp were both at the front of the car, which left the back- the part facing the open sky- clear. She went straight for it, acknowledging Usopp with a nod as he spoke, but not paying attention to his words.

She stepped up on the side of the car and threw the chain over the rope. Catching the chain ends, she rotated her wrists so that the chain wrapped over her jacket sleeves around her wrists, to give herself help in holding on. She looked back at the boys, and with a smirk, pushed off from the car.

"ME TOO!" was all she heard as she felt something grab on to her. The weight she was holding suddenly doubled, as Luffy had stretched his arms out, wrapping himself around her in a hug- like hold. He was yelling in her ear, as she struggled to hold on. His excitement was catching however, because soon Kia was hollering along with him.

The end was coming much sooner than anticipated, which she thought was good because her hold was slipping. She screamed out, "CAN'T HOLD ON!" giving all she could before the chain slipped from her hands.

As they fell, she noted that Luffy's yell was pretty much the same excited yell, where as hers became a scream of panic.

"GUM GUM…"

She didn't hear the rest, but landed softly enough, and then Luffy let go, and she was flung back up and landed again over to the right in the snow. The snow wasn't exactly soft, but it wasn't much of a fall at that point anyway. The chain that had somehow come with her landed on her face, and that was the worst part of the entire experience.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Kia sat up, holding a gloved hand to her face, and then looking at it to make sure she wasn't bleeding. She grinned as she saw there was no blood, and looking over at Luffy, she felt like her face would crack, her smile was so wide.

"Let's do that again!" She yelled back to him, and he whooped and punched upwards with a fist.

They turned at a sound, and saw the sleigh coming down the rope behind them. It landed in the snow far ahead of them, and had turned to come back to get them when they heard the booming of cannons.

Everyone stopped as lights spotlit the sky, and watched as the snow became like cherry blossoms falling from their trees. It was beautiful, and Chopper started crying, then wailing in joy. Kia looked around, seeing the awe in everyone's eyes at the pink cloud surrounding the top of the mountain, making it look like a gigantic cherry tree.

Nobody said anything as Chopper cried, though they began to pack up the things from the sleigh. After a few minutes, Chopper was calm enough that they started to head to their ship.

Kia watched them go, not wanting to gain their attention, as she turned to head the other direction.

"NO!"

She turned back, and like everyone else, stared at Chopper. He was glaring at her, which kind of hurt her feelings. __What had I done to get that look from him?__

"I'm sorry Luffy," Chopper said while he stared at her. "I can't leave Kiana here, all alone."

The crew looked at her in astonishment, and she flushed. "I'll be fine Chopper, you go ahead."

"No," he said again, crossing his arms. "You helped me, and now I'm going to help you, even if it means waiting to go out to sea."

"What?!" she gasped. "No way, you can't do that!"

"Yeah, Chopper," Luffy agreed. "You already agreed to join the crew."

Kia looked behind them to see the rest of the crew talking and arguing with each other.

"Besides," Luffy continued. "Kia is already part of the crew too!"

She could see Sanji cheering, smug grins, and a couple of face palms behind Luffy before his words sunk in.

"WHAT?!"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"How exactly am I part of your crew?"

"I asked you, and you yelled out wahoo! and that means yes."

"Wahoo?" she asked, then face palmed herself. "I yelled wahoo! because we were sliding down a rope from the top of a mountain. I didn't hear you say anything."

"Oh well," Luffy shrugged. "Let's go!"

"You're coming, right Kiana?" Chopper asked. __Future reference… reindeer can also do the pleading puppy eyes thing. Need to watch yourself,__ she thought.

She stood there, conflicted. __Did I want to join? Hell yes, more than anything! Should I join… that was harder to answer.__

"I can't be a pirate, I have to find my sisters," she said finally.

"So we'll help you," Nami said over her shoulder. She and Vivi were already walking towards the ship.

"But…"

"Just give it up Kia," Zoro said, then he also turned and started walking. __Well, if Zoro says so…__

"I need to stop in Big Horn and get my things. It may take a bit, what with the avalanche and all."

Kia was surprised, she had never thought before that moment that she would ever see such a smug grin on Luffy's face, but when she did, she knew she was going to get him back for it. __Just exactly how smart is he?__

"Okay, but when we get to the ship, I need to treat that wound on your face," Chopper said as we started walking.

Sanji joined them on her other side and asked, "Are you alright Kia my dear? How did that happen?"

She turned and looked back at Luffy, with a smug grin of her own. "Oh it's nothing. I mean it was a really heavy chain, and Luffy tried to catch it, so it's not his fault…"

She watched and laughed as Sanji chased Luffy around, trying to kick him for failing to protect her. Chopper looked back and forth between Kia and the boys, observing, before finally giggling with her.

"I'm glad you're coming Kiana."

"Kia, Chopper," she corrected him gently. "My friends, call me Kia."

* * *

The crew all stood at the railing, looking over at the massive pink cloud surrounding the mountaintop that held the castle. It was lit brightly against the night sky, looking like a giant cherry tree that was raining down blossoms. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Kia could see how such a sight could make someone want to change his life.

"He did it, even though it took years to make it happen," she said under her breath.

"Who?"

"Hmm?" she turned her head, seeing Vivi standing next to her. "Oh, Doctor Hiriluk, the one who created the cherry blossoms."

"You knew him?" Chopper asked excitedly from her other side.

"Not personally, no. But Dalton really respected him." She looked down to Chopper, and continued. "Doctor Hiriluk's words before he died was the reason Dalton decided to speak against the king. Wapol had him beaten and thrown in prison. It wasn't until the pirate attack that he was freed."

"But… but that was years later!" Chopper cried.

"Yes," she nodded. "And Dalton still felt it was not enough for what he had allowed Wapol to do to the country. Now though, with the election, Dalton will be able to do a lot of good, and hopefully get rid of that sense of guilt."

"Election?" Vivi asked.

"Yes!" Chopper replied, still gazing out at the sky. "Doctorine told me about it. That all the people would cast a vote for who they wanted as a leader. She thought it was a good idea."

"I wonder who came up with such a plan," Vivi replied, then noticing Kia's expression, stood shocked. "Kia? It was you?"

"Oh, um… yes. That is how we decide our leaders back home."

"Where is home?" Nami asked, as she came to join them.

"Far away," she answered vaguely, turning back to the cherry blossoms.

"So how did you end up on Drum Island?" Nami questioned.

"I flew."

Kia could tell without even looking that Nami was giving her a sceptical look, though perhaps it was merely an exasperated one. __But what else could I say? It had been the truth after all.__

"Karoo! What happened?" They all turned to look as Vivi ran over to her giant duck, who looked like he had icicles all over. He started quacking, and gesturing wildly at Zoro. Chopper translated, letting them know that Karoo had jumped into the river trying to save Zoro. After Zoro received a punch from Nami, everyone marveled at Chopper's ability to speak to animals.

"That's amazing Chopper!" Nami said to him. "It seems being a doctor is not your only skill!"

"What's that about a doctor?" Luffy asked.

"Chopper is a doctor, he has been training under Dr. Kureha for the past six years." Kia explained. The boys heaped praise on Chopper, since they were ignorant of this fact until now. Chopper blushed and did a little dance while shouting about not being happy.

"Honestly Luffy," Nami said. "If you didn't know he was a doctor, what did you think he was?"

"A transforming reindeer monster." Luffy said as if it was obvious.

"Um, Captain?"

"Yeah?" Luffy looked at Kia questioningly.

"I was wondering why you invited me?"

"You needed somewhere to go."

She was taken aback. __So I was invited to join the most awesome pirate crew in the whole of anywhere, because they pitied me? No way.__ She put her hands on her hips and glared at Luffy, though he was just grinning back at her. "I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me," she stated harshly.

Several people tried to speak at once, but Luffy just shouted louder, "No!" which made them look at him again.

"That's not the only reason, why does there need to be only one?" he asked Kia. "You gave us meat, you helped us when we didn't even ask, you acted as though you were already part of the crew, and you swung down a rope from the top of the mountain! Plus, you remind me of someone." He put his hands on his hips, mocking her stance and asked, "Do I __need__ a reason to invite someone to join my crew?"

"I guess not," Kia replied sheepishly. "But, I can't stay forever! I've got something I have to do," she added stubbornly.

She was met by smirks all around. "We all do, Kia my dear," Sanji explained. "But together, we can help each other, can't we? When we left for the Grand Line, we all stated for each other, and the world, what we were searching for. Why don't you and Chopper join us?"

"Yeah! Good idea Sanji!" Luffy shouted.

"But we need drinks!" Usopp added.

"Good thinking, I was out," Zoro stated, and Kia rolled her eyes at him.

Usopp and Nami handed Chopper, Vivi and Kia drinks.

"I'm going to be a great warrior of the sea!" Usopp declared.

"I'm going to be, King of the pirates!" Luffy stated. __Wow, that's a lot more powerful in person,__ Kia thought, getting goose bumps.

"I'm going to draw a map of the entire world."

"To find the All Blue."

"I'm going to save my kingdom!" They all smiled at Vivi's passionate declaration.

"To be the world's greatest swordsman."

"I'm going to be the cure all- to cure any disease! And, to see the world, and to have adventures!" Chopper grinned, and Luffy returned it, then they turned to Kia.

Normally, she would think that saying something out loud would jinx it, but these people seemed to make the impossible possible. If they were anything like the stories she had read, amazing things __would__ happen, perhaps simply because they declared it so.

"I'm going to find my sisters, and get back home!"

"To our new crew mates! Cheers!"

* * *

"This is the girl's room. We can hang a hammock, or get a cot, whatever you prefer. We'll have to buy some more beds once we finish the business in Alabasta."

"After helping to save the country, I'm sure they'll just be throwing things our way, beds included."

Nami laughed, "Not a bad idea, they'll probably be willing to give one or two up at least, though the boys seem fine sleeping on the floor or a hammock, which I can't understand."

"I've been stranded on a winter island," Kia commented with a grin. "Just find me sunshine, and I'll sleep anywhere!"

After seeing the options, she ended up with a cot mattress on the floor. It wasn't the greatest, but with several pillows, she slept like a baby.

Kia was really glad that she had spent so much time back home on boats, as she felt like she could probably contribute to the crew. Dalton had taught her several things for self defense, but she was no fighter. She decided she would need to volunteer to stay with the ship for awhile, which would work well, because then she also couldn't interfere with the story.

Chopper had asked if she wanted to help him as his assistant, which she readily agreed to. They spent most of the first day talking, so he could see how much she already knew. She was hesitant at first, but felt that if anything came up that seemed odd, he most likely wouldn't share it with the others. So she rattled on about first aid and the CPR classes that she had taken years ago.

When Luffy called them to come and play, they were both ready for a break, so they ran over. Kia wouldn't call herself competitive, but everyone likes to win, even non-competitive people. When Usopp suggested tag, she knew she would be at a huge disadvantage, so she suggested hide and seek instead, and they agreed.

"It says what?" she asked.

"What?" Luffy responded.

"Oh, that means, you're it."

"Good one, Kia!" Usopp said as he laughed. "I'll use that in the future."

"No fair!" Luffy complained.

"Get to counting Luffy!"

"Fine. 1… 2… 3… 4..."

The other three scattered, and Kia realized they hadn't set any rules. __But what was I thinking, this was Luffy after all. Any rules, he's probably going to forget anyway.__

She walked quickly through the kitchen, and heard Sanji call out. She didn't answer as she had a thought brewing. __Once when I was younger, when playing hide and seek, that Ash had hidden so well that we all gave up on finding her. She eventually came out, but refused to tell us where she had been. I eventually got it out of her, and it was so brilliant. And now, I was going to win my first game with the Straw Hats.__ She headed straight for the boys closet.

The trick to this, was to use the items of someone bigger than you, that way, you are completely hidden. Sanji's coat paired with Zoro's boots would work well enough. Kia stepped into the boots, making sure they were facing the same direction as the others on the floor. Then she buttoned Sanji's coat around herself, leaving the hanger in and still hanging up. The jacket was long enough that her hands weren't hanging out, and was bulky, so it didn't appear to have someone inside it.

She giggled to herself, and settled in for a long wait. The only issue would be the heat, but she figured it wouldn't take too long for them to give up on finding her.

It went even better than she had thought. The closet doors were thrown open and closed at least four times, and she could hear someone say, "where is she?". __I knew I was going to win this!__ Soon, she had gotten tired of standing straight, and had strategically leaned against the back wall without showing herself. It was getting rather warm in the jacket, and she could feel her eyes getting sleepy.

She blinked several times, to keep from dozing off. Then, feeling something hard hit her, she lifted her head, looking around at the dark. She was disoriented, but eventually figured out that she had fallen over. She untangled herself from the coat and boots, and walked out of the closet. Then spun around and hung the coat back up, hearing her mom's voice in her head telling her to clean up after herself.

It was oddly quiet. __I thought that by now, they would all be yelling for me to just come out already__ , she thought, but didn't hear anything. Then, her stomach growled, and she realized they must have run to the kitchen when Sanji called dinner, and forgotten all about her. She stalked up the stairs, and pushed open the kitchen door. Everyone was seated around the table, but there was only a single plate. She wondered what was going on when everyone looked up at her in surprise and yelled, "KIA!"

Then she was swarmed by several people at once, giving her hugs, asking if she was alright, asking what had happened. Had she been kidnapped? How did she escape? Was she hungry?

"Whoa, whoa. What is going on?"

"Kia, you've been missing!" Chopper shouted, though he refused to let go of her, so she just picked him up, so that she could walk over to the table.

"Missing? Chopper, I was hiding. Luffy was supposed to look and find me."

They all looked shocked at her words, and Usopp asked, "You were hiding all this time?"

Kia bit her bottom lip. __That didn't sound good.__ "Um, yes?"

"Kia, that was like five hours ago!"

"What? No way!" She could feel her cheeks get hotter than they already were. "Uh… I think I fell asleep."

Luffy burst out laughing, and soon everyone joined in, though she thought for some it was in relief.

Sanji brought over a cup of water. "Drink that, you look overheated. I'll reheat your dinner," he said as he took the plate of food from the table. She gulped down the water, realizing that she was still very hot.

"We looked all over the ship, yelling your name!" Usopp said dramatically. "Did you move around and change hiding spots?" he accused.

"No, that's cheating."

"Then where were you?"

"In the boys closet." Most everyone paused and looked at her again. Luffy with a grin, Usopp looked skeptical, and Zoro had one eyebrow up in question.

"I looked in there! Twice!"

Kia took pity on Usopp and explained. "I had my feet in Zoro's snow boots, and I was hiding inside Sanji's long winter coat," she said. "Unless you looked carefully, you'd never notice."

Luffy just laughed again. "No wonder you're all red and sweaty!" he said cheerfully. "You spent hours in a big coat?"

"I guess I did, though it didn't seem that long. I could feel my eyes getting sleepy, and when I opened them, I was on the ground. I had no idea I had been asleep."

"That's not hiding, that camouflaging!" Usopp said.

"I guess that means I won, huh Captain?" Kia asked Luffy.

"Yep!" He said without contest. She grinned at all of them.

"Sorry for the worry, I'll just come out next time after ten minutes if I'm not found."

"We know your secrets now, so you won't win again!" Usopp declared.

She smiled in reply. "Don't bet on it."

Sanji placed her dinner in front of her, and she thanked him. Starting to eat, she noticed that Luffy and Zoro were looking at her speculatively.

"What?" she asked Zoro in exasperation.

"It's strange, but you really remind me of a girl I met awhile back. She had dimples just like you, and her smile was like yours too." He turned to Luffy. "What do you think Luffy? Doesn't she remind you of Reese?"

Kia's mouth dropped open and she grabbed Zoro's hand, her dinner forgotten. "YOU KNOW REESE?" she screeched.

Zoro tugged on his hand, but she wasn't letting go. "Yeah, do you?"

She just stared at him, unable to speak, for if she tried, she knew she would cry. Then the tears wanted to escape anyway, so she tried to talk. It came out as a whisper. "She's my sister."

* * *

"I can't believe it! My baby sister is with Garp? And your friend Coby? That's amazing! She said she was going to be a marine, and she's really doing it."

Luffy chuckled. "See, you already found one of your sisters."

"Probably could have been sooner if I had just said that we all have the same dimples," Kia grinned at her captain, sitting by her at the table. She didn't even care that he was sneakily stealing her food. "So if you meet anyone with dimples like mine, she is probably my sister."

Sanji leaned against the counter, and lit his cigarette. "How many sisters do you have Kia?" She knew his eye didn't actually become a heart, but she could __almost__ see it.

"Three," she replied. "Dru is the oldest, then me, then Ash, then Reese."

"That's it!" Luffy shouted, slapping the table, then pointing to Sanji. "The girl at the restaurant! That's who you remind me of!"

Kia looked from Luffy to Sanji, who also wore a confused expression. "There was a girl at the restaurant?"

Sanji's face cleared into understanding, and a wistful expression, that she swore had hearts circling his head. "Oh, you mean Miss Ashley."

"Wait. Wait. You mean you've met Ash too? Seriously?" She grabbed Luffy by the shoulders, desperate that this not be a joke.

"Yep!" he said, and Sanji clarified for her. "She came with Hawk Eye, and he left her there to observe the fight. We left before she did, but she said he was coming back for her."

She didn't let go of Luffy, but turned incredulous, to Sanji. "She was __with__ Hawk Eye? As in Dracule Mihawk? The warlord and world's greatest swordsman?"

They nodded at her, and Luffy chuckled again. "That's two out of three! Only one more to find!"

Luffy had met three of them already. It was incredible, amazing and totally improbable. Kia moved her arms around his neck and just hugged him. She could feel him pat her back, not squeezing tighter as Sanji would, or trying to get away like Zoro might. Just letting her hug him as she needed to.

"Thank you Captain. Thank you so much," she said quietly.


	21. Chapter 21: The Animal Kingdom

Kia walked over the deck, seeing Chopper waving his arms frantically and yelling… looking scared. Usopp was standing over him, and as she got closer, she could hear him talk of vampire penguins and reindeer-eating clams. She moved to rescue Chopper when he backed up right into Luffy, just as he held up a picture he had drawn. Chopper took one look and screamed, "Monster!"

Kia just shook her head. __Of all the things Luffy is… an artist is not one of them,__ she thought. She took a better look at the drawing, but couldn't tell what it was supposed to be.

"Hey!" Luffy yells back, annoyed. "I'm not a monster!" which had Chopper running and hiding behind her. Well… trying to hide anyway.

Zoro picks this moment to add, "You're too scared Chopper. How are you going to fight with us in Alabasta?"

"Hey Zoro," Kia said calmly. "Chopper is brave and can fight when he needs to. He'll be fine."

"Just make sure not to run away and leave Kia unprotected," Sanji comments as he walks towards the group with a tray of snacks. He handed Kia a plate, and gives the other plate to the boys to share. After the first few times, he realized that Kia would share her larger portion with the boys, so he began making their plate bigger so she wouldn't feel she needed to share, though she would still share with Chopper.

"I'm a pirate now! I don't run away!" Chopper shouted at all of them, and the guys smiled while Kia chuckled.

"Come on Chopper, lets go get your office ready so you can see patients." Taking his hoof in her hand, she gripped the plate of snacks in the other, and they headed to the storage area in the cannon deck that they would use for Chopper's treatment area, smiling as he ran to the room excitedly. She picked up a crate, thinking it was a good place to start as any. "Where do you want this, Chopper?"

"Um, what do you think Kia?"

She grinned at the adorable reindeer human. "It's your room, so it's up to you how you set it up. But, we could always change something later if it doesn't work well."

"Okay, then how about over here?"

She nodded and moved the crate to where he was pointing, and looked over at the door when she heard raised voices. "Should we go see what's going on out there?" she asked him.

"Sure! That's what a pirate would do, I think." He rushed over to the door, eager to prove he was a pirate, which just made her grin. __I don't know that I could ever be sad or upset if Chopper was around.__

Chopper ran out the door, as the ship lurched. Kia gripped the doorway, uncertain of what was happening. She could see several of the others holding on to the railing, the mast, or even the rigging. Sanji had braced himself between the stair rail and the side of the ship, and Nami and Usopp were screaming.

She could see plumes of water shooting up beside the Merry, and then they were gone. Luffy shouted a "Woohoo!" and Kia heard Vivi say that they were flying. She understood then that the plumes hadn't disappeared, the ship had been shot up into the air along with the water.

The ship was once again steady, so the crew made their way to the railings and looked over the side. The shoots of water had formed a circle, all the way around an island, and the wind it created had them sailing through the air, straight for the island.

"What's happening?" Vivi shouted from the kitchen balcony.

"Geysers!" Nami yelled back. "Under the water!"

"It's amazing!" Zoro called from the bow.

Their oohing and awing was cut abruptly short when the ship began to fall quickly, and everyone started to yell. Chopper's hold on the railing slipped and he went tail over hat, right up the stairs. He kept falling upwards, as the ship was descending rapidly and he grabbed for the jolly roger, catching it before he fell out of the ship completely.

"Chopper!" Kia shouted, making her way up the stairs, and onto the rigging. "I'm coming!" She tried to climb quickly, but felt like she was moving through sludge. The flag began to tear, and Luffy stretched out to catch him. "No! CHOPPER!" she screamed, reaching out as if her own limbs would stretch. Vivi grabbed onto her, trying to keep her in the ship. They watched as Luffy's reach also fell short, and Chopper- still holding onto the torn flag- fell into the forest.

"Can't… hold…on…" Kia could hear Vivi pant, though most of her body was hanging over the side. They were nearing a lake or river of some kind, and she hoped Vivi could hold her until then. The next moment she was weightless, falling, and watching the Merry continue without her. Vivi and Kia screamed, hitting a huge leafy tree, and falling down it, breaking all of its branches on the fall. However, those branches helped to stop their momentum, and they fell to the ground covered in scratches, but with no broken bones.

"Ugh," Kia groaned. "Vivi? You okay?"

"Ow…" she replied. "I think so."

"I appreciate the help. That fall would have been much worse if I had fallen sooner." Kia stood up, and held out her hand to help Vivi up. She couldn't help but giggle as she saw the state of the blunette's hair. There were several clumps sticking out of her ponytail, and she had leaves and twigs embedded everywhere.

"If you're giggling at my hair, I can assure you, yours is just as bad."

"Oh." Kia stopped laughing, and felt her head, then shrugged. "I help you, you help me?" she offered.

"Deal."

The two spent some time getting themselves back to somewhat normal, then decided to head in the direction the Going Merry had fallen. They figured that everyone would be looking for them and for Chopper, and would be heading in their direction as well.

* * *

"The King's treasure?"

"I think so," Nami replied. "Those plumes of water were no accident. They form a circle all around the island, which is why it is called Crown Island."

"Nami, you're amazing!" Sanji crooned.

The remaining Straw Hat crew continued to pick up the wreckage around the ship from their impromptu landing, trying to decide what to do first.

"We need to find Vivi and Kia!" Sanji exclaimed. "My beauties, where have you gone? I'll rescue you!"

"Idiot cook," Zoro murmured.

"What was that!?"

"I said, don't forget about Chopper."

"You there, humans. Why are you here?"

The fight stopped as abruptly as it started, as everyone stared at the giant bird before them. It was sitting on top of a hippo, next to a goat.

"That bird can talk?!" Usopp gaped.

"Duh, it's a parrot," Zoro stated. "Parrots can talk."

"Not like that!"

"The human tongue is not a problem for me, though only I and one other can actually speak like this," the bird explained.

"This is the coolest island!" Luffy exclaimed, suddenly right in front of the bird. "Hey, so have you seen Vivi and Kia? Or Chopper?"

"Chopper?" the bird asked, looking confused.

* * *

Chopper hadn't spent much time around other animals, let alone humans. He didn't understand why a single human boy would be living among an island full of animals, or why falling from the ship onto a rock, making him cry out, would make him their king. Nothing was making sense.

"Mobambi, I can't be your king."

"Sure you can Chopper. You belong here with us, plus you fell from the heavens, so you are the king."

"Mobambi, that doesn't make sense. I need to find my crew, they are probably looking for me. __At least, I hope they are,__ he thought.

"Crew?"

"Yeah, I'm the doctor of our pirate crew, our ship landed here on accident."

"A PIRATE?! No. That's not true. Pirates are evil, and wicked, and I hate them!"

"What? No, my friends are nice pirates-"

"There is no such thing! A pirate killed my father, and wrecked our ship. That's how I ended up here, stranded on this island, alone. The animals took me in, made me one of them."

Chopper wasn't sure what to say to Mobambi. He was obviously upset about the idea of pirates, but he didn't know Luffy and the others like Chopper did. But he didn't want to listen to Choppers explanations either.

"Did… you say you were a doctor?" Mobambi asked.

"Yes, I am."

"That's great! There are many who are hurt. Come, I'll show you."

Chopper followed, unwilling to not help those that needed it. Hopefully by the time the others found him, he could convince Mobambi that he was most definitely not their king.

* * *

"Kia, I've been meaning to ask…"

They had decided to stop and take a break, and had just sat down on the grass when Vivi spoke up. Kia waited, but she didn't continue.

"What is it Vivi?"

"I'm not sure how to say it, but I wondered… what it's like to have sisters? I've always wanted siblings."

Kia grinned, and stretched out on the grass. "Most of the time, it's great!" she said. "But it's kind of like being a part of a crew, or even just having friends. The people who are closest to you know all the good things about you, but all the bad things as well."

"Okay… but why would that make a difference?"

"Say you got really annoyed at someone, say, Usopp."

"Why, did he do something?"

"Well, it's hypothetical. But let's he did something, and now you want to get even."

"Hmm, I'd probably switch all of his experiment ingredients around, it would really bother him."

"Exactly!"

"I don't get it."

Kia laughed, as she was obviously not explaining her thoughts well enough. "Well, it's basically the same for siblings. We grew up together, so we know all of the little things that annoy each other. So if we ever have a fight, we can do a lot more damage than if we were fighting with someone we hardly knew."

"I see."

"But on the other hand, it was like having friends that knew me inside and out. Growing up together means we had a lot of the same experiences. Not everyone gets along with their siblings, but mine are my best friends." Having said that, her face fell as she thought about them.

"I'm sure you'll find them before you know it," Vivi said, putting her hand on Kia's arm.

"Thanks, I hope so."

Some of the strangest sounding music started, and they looked at each other, Vivi in curiosity and Kia in horror.

"Come on, let's find out what that is," Kia said, thinking of a reason why they should that wouldn't give away her thoughts. "Maybe whoever that is has seen the others."

* * *

Luffy collapsed onto a large flat rock, his stomach growling loudly. "I'm SO hungry!" he moaned.

"Yeah," Usopp agreed, falling onto another rock. "There's nothing but jungle and fields everywhere. We'll starve to death!"

Zoro and Nami sat quietly, taking a break from all their walking, and Sanji turned to the animals that had been trailing them.

"Why are you following us?" he asked.

"Silence human! We are watching your every move, you cannot be trusted."

"Calm down, it's not like we're going to eat you."

Luffy chose that moment to throw a hunger tantrum. "MEAT! Give me meat! I'm hungry!" he continued shouting, and the three animals look nervous. "Hey, it's a pile of PORK!" Luffy shouted, tantrum forgotten momentarily.

The odd looking pig, stopped nearby, making a trumpeting call, then taking off again at a run. "It's a messenger pig," the bird explained. "A new king has been crowned."

"A new king?" Luffy asked excitedly. "I want to meet him!"

Animals began flooding into the clearing, running past the group. The rocks where they were sitting began to move, proving they were not rocks at all, but square looking rhinoceroses, which jumped up and started running with the other animals, carrying the humans along with them.

After some time, they stopped in another large clearing, full of animals of every kind. Luffy excitedly began to run with them, but they were all scared of him.

"Hmm…" Usopp mused. "We'll have to look like animals if we want to play with them."

"For such a small bag, Usopp sure carries a lot of things." Zoro commented dryly.

Nami glared at him. "Why couldn't they be nicer things?"

"Hey, aren't you going to play with us?" Usopp asked. "I made these fantastic suits so we could!"

Nami glared again. The large peanut shaped brown suit, the huge awkward gloves, the huge fake ears… It was too much! She looked over at Sanji who had a sheet tied around his neck giving him an apron, bandages wrapped around his shoes, and a pot on his head painted as a panda face. She then looked at Zoro, who had a giant, suit- for lack of a better word- with a hole in the middle for his head. It had large eyes painted on the front on either side of his face, and yellow webbed feet painted at the bottom. His hands were in triangle shaped gloves, she supposed to mimic flippers, and there was a large "P" painted on the belly- obviously to signify penguin, instead of duck.

They were the saddest looking penguin, monkey and panda ever. But compared to the guys costume, she supposed her's wasn't so bad. Usopp had given himself a large furry mane, and paws with his onesie fur suit. Luffy's however, was the simplest. Dried leaves wrapped into a skirt, and shirt, sticks wrapped in a bandage and tied to his head on top of his hat, to resemble antlers. She had no idea what he was supposed to be, but at least he was having fun. She was ready to get going, and find her friends. They needed to get to Alabasta after all, and finding the treasure on this island was already going to take some time!

Suddenly the animals all started panicking and running in every direction as a stampede of animals headed their way.

"What's going on?" Luffy asked the talkative bird.

"Horn eaters!"

"Huh?"

"They attack all animals with horns, and have killed all our elders." The bird flew off, and Luffy took a fighting position.

"Let's get started!" he called.

"No," Usopp called as he ran up and grabbed Luffy. "Let's run!" The crew scattered as the horn eaters came upon them, turning and following Usopp and Luffy. "AAH! Why are they following me?" Usopp screeched.

The talking bird flew above him. "They attack any with horns!" he called.

Usopp looked confused. "Horns?" he asked, looking up at Luffy. Understanding dawned, and he set Luffy down and continued running away.

"Huh?" Luffy said, then looked back at he animals almost on top of him. He stood and pulled the sticks from the tie on his hat, and threw them away, just in front of himself. And then was run over as the animals ran past.

"Moron! Don't throw them in front of you!" Nami called from the treeline.


	22. Chapter 22: The Real Treasure

Vivi and Kia followed the strange music, coming to a clearing nearby a waterfall. An extremely pale man with horrible fashion sense stood playing a violin, with two men kneeling on the ground behind him, as if waiting for him to finish. The ground rumbled as animals came racing towards them, and the two that were kneeling stood up.

One was huge, tall and broad, though he seemed older, he was extremely strong based on the muscles in his arms, which he showed off by wearing a sleeveless tunic. He had a collar of spikes around his neck and bracelets of spikes on both wrists. The other man, was also tall, but very slim. He wore fine clothes, had a menacing look about him, and a large sword sheathed at his back.

Animals that were herded to them cowered in front of the two men, as the pulled weapons out and began to attack. The music continued, and we watched in horror as every animal's antler or horn, whether on the top of their head, or their face was cut from them. The two men continued, attack after attack, getting their trophies and kicking the living animals into the river to sweep over the waterfall.

Vivi and Kia looked at each other in horror, then ran out yelling. "Stop! Leave them alone!"

* * *

"We've asked every animal we've come across, and no sign of Vivi, Kia, or Chopper!" Usopp lamented.

"Or the treasure!" Nami added.

"Come on, we'll find them eventually." Zoro stated, continuing the hike upwards. "Wait." Everyone stopped. "Did you hear that?" They all listened intently, hearing the sound of talking.

"Voices!" The crew continued faster, eager to see if their friends were close. They came upon a strange scene. A table, in the middle of a clearing, set with a fancy tablecloth, piled high with what looked like bones. Kia and Vivi and a strange looking man were seated there, though only the man was eating. A few of the Straw hats winced as the man bit into the bones in front of them.

"Vivi! Kia!" They called, coming forward to greet their friends, only to be stopped by two other men standing in front of them.

Luffy peered around the men, and looked at the seated man. "Are those bones good to eat?"

His crew groaned. "Always thinking with your stomach!" Sanji said.

"How dare you barge in here!" The man shouted, rising up from his seat. He came forward to glare at Luffy. "Just who do you think I am?"

"You'd better watch it, or you'll get what's coming to you," one of his henchmen said to the group.

Nami glanced over to her other female crew members, catching both of them rolling their eyes. Hers widened in surprise and the leader reared back to punch Luffy, and instead punched his silent henchman, who didn't even notice.

The leader, wailed in pain, as his minions tried to comfort him with condiments from the table. The crew looked at their seated companions in confusion, but only received shaking heads in return.

"Aha! Now you know how dangerous I am!" The Straw hats looked back to the leader as he tried to play off his bungle. "Would you like to know more?"

"No thanks," they all said in unison.

"Okay, I'll tell you! I'm a brilliant inventor and biologist, and an expert treasure hunter. I'm the world's ultra genius, Baron Butler!"

"World's ultra genius?" Luffy asked, impressed.

"And I'm general Hot Dog," the large muscle man added. "The world's strongest."

"What," Zoro deadpanned.

"And I am Snake," the thinner man introduced himself. "The most handsome man," he said as he flipped his limp hair. He had tattoos on his face and hands, and his hair laid so flat to his head, that it seemed to be tattooed there as well.

"The __most__ handsome?" Sanji asked sarcastically.

"Yes," he answered, though it hadn't been a serious question. "I am so seductive, that no woman escapes me."

"Are you looking for the king's treasure?" Nami asked him.

As his eyes looked to Nami, he fell to one knee in front of her, grabbing her hand in between both of his. "Of course fair lady!"

"Oh? You're so handsome! Will you tell me please?" she asked, and the crew around her looked at her in shock.

"I can only tell you if you join our crew, we tell no one but our own crew."

"Of course, I'll join!" Nami said with a smile, and Sanji looked like he would murder someone.

"No way!" Luffy said. "You're a bad guy!"

"What?" Baron Butler said. "What makes you think that?"

Luffy looked at Nami, the guys around him, taking in Kia and Vivi sitting still at the table, and the pile of horns and antlers. "Just a hunch."

Nami hit Luffy over the head, as Baron Butler raged at the sky.

"Sir Butler, these people seem like dimwits."

Butler looked at Snake and Hot Dog, as they fell into place behind him once again. "Too bad. I can't tell dimwits about the treasure," he said.

"Please?" Nami asked.

"No!" he yelled.

Luffy stood back up. "Fine. We're leaving. Kia, Vivi! Let's go!"

Baron Butler gave an evil grin. "They can't. They are part of my crew now."

"What?" the Straw hats asked, looking at their friends for confirmation.

"No we're not!" Vivi yelled.

"Yeah, it's not our fault you told us everything! We didn't even ask!" Kia added.

"Silence!" Butler yelled, pulling out his violin. "Horn eaters, kill them!"

"AAH!" Usopp screeched.

Luffy stretched out his arms, wrapping around Kia and Vivi's shoulders, and pulling them to him. They upended the table as they flew over to their crew, knocking into everyone and sending the entire group over the cliff into the water. They quickly found a large branch, pulling Luffy, Vivi and Kia onto it.

"I'm sorry Vivi my dear, Kia my heart! If I had realized you were tied up, I would have gone to you at once!" Sanji lamented.

"It's fine Sanji," Vivi said, pulling the ropes that Zoro had cut off her.

"Yeah, no worries," Kia added, rubbing feeling back into her wrists. "It wasn't much of a problem, we were simply waiting for a good time to escape."

"Look!" Nami said, pointing to the shore. The shore was full of animals, all injured from having their horns removed, and falling over the waterfall.

"That's their work," Vivi said angrily. "Butler controls the horn eaters with his violin, making them round up any animal with a horn. Snake and Hot Dog then cut the horns off and push the animals over the cliff."

"Butler said that the treasure is actually a horn of an animal," Kia added. "That's why they are doing this."

"Wait, but that means Chopper is in danger too!" Usopp said.

"Oh no!" Nami cried.

"He'll be fine," Luffy said, unconcerned. "He's strong."

"He is?" Usopp questioned.

"Yeah, he's one of us. So he's strong. Right?"

Zoro smirked. "That sounds right to me."

"I have to agree," Sanji said.

"But shouldn't we still look for him?" Usopp asked.

"I know!" Luffy said, pointing to the shore where the talking bird and his companions stood watching them. "Let's ask the animal king!"

The crew looked at each other, then at the hippo, who looked nervous by the attention.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're the animal king, Chopper!" Nami said. The crew all nodded as they continued to eat the fruits that Chopper had brought out for them. They were all so happy to be reunited, even though the kid and the animals seemed less than thrilled.

"Not just anyone can become royalty after all," Sanji said. "I myself am more of a prince type, coming in on a white steed, saving beautiful princesses…" Kia rolled her eyes as Sanji lost himself in his own fantasy.

"Idiot."

"What?!" Sanji exclaimed, turning to glare at Zoro. Kia could hear Vivi beside her give a sigh, tired of the two of them always fighting.

"Just shut up and eat… __prince__."

Sanji glared, then turned back and muttered, "so says the brainless muscle-head."

"WHAT?!"

Vivi and Kia both sighed now as the two of them started fighting again. Sometimes it was funny, but lately it had been so often, the entire crew were getting sick of it.

"Hey, is there any meat?" Luffy asked. Nami, Vivi and Kia shook their heads, as all the animals ran away.

"Luffy, you idiot, you scared them!" Nami yelled at him.

"Besides, haven't you had enough?" Kia asked, noting how large Luffy had gotten, his body stretching to hold all the food he had been consuming.

"Nah, I'm still hungry!"

An explosion suddenly rocked the ground, and everyone turned, seeing a huge plume of smoke. Chopper took off, and his friends immediately followed.

They ran down to a smaller plateau, noting that Butler, Hot Dog and Snake were standing before a group of cowering animals, the same ones that had run from the group just minutes before.

"The animal king will surrender to me, or I will have the horn eaters attack everyone!" Butler shouted.

Nami looked around, looking for the monster trio. "Where did those guys go? Right when we need them to fight!"

"We need to destroy that violin…" Vivi said. Kia didn't respond, as she was watching Chopper. He was scared, she could see it. But he also was growing more and more determined, the longer he saw the scared animals. He jumped down to join Butler, wearing the crew's jolly roger as a cape, dressed in some of Mobambi's ridiculous fancy clothes.

Butler looked at him in disdain. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tony Tony Chopper!" Chopper called, standing tall before the human towering over him. "I'm the animal king. Call off the horn eaters!"

Butler laughed snidely. "Of course your majesty, once you defeat them of course!"

Chopper paled as he saw the horn eaters coming straight at him. Kia hurriedly jumped down to join him. "Chopper, run!" she said, standing in front of him. He wasn't moving, so she said, "Operation Decoy!" trying to get him to snap out of it. She waved her arms like a fool, and walked away from Chopper. He wasn't moving, so she needed to make herself the target.

"No! Kia!" Before she could look back, Chopper in his human form, had picked her up and started running, turning sharply before the horn eaters, leading them away from the others.

They could hear the violin play, Butler probably giving the horn eaters direction to pursue them. "Chopper! Why'd you pick me up? I was trying to be a decoy! I don't have horns, they wouldn't have attacked me," Kia said.

"I couldn't let you get hurt for me Kia," Chopper panted. "Besides, Sanji would kill me if I didn't protect you."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "You can put me down now, I can run," she said.

"I've got you," he replied.

* * *

Luffy, Zoro and Sanji finally joined the others, once Luffy's body digested his food, and his huge body shrunk back to normal. They had been stuck in the doorway the entire time.

"What's happened?" Luffy asked.

"I guess, Chopper really is a coward." Mobambi said sadly. "The girl tried to help him, but he just grabbed her and ran away, instead of fighting."

"We'd better go rescue them," Sanji said.

"You coming?" Luffy asked Mobambi.

"Me? But I'm weak. I can't do anything."

"So what?" Usopp said. "So am I, but I'm not scared!" Nami and Vivi pointedly looked at his shaking limbs. "that's nothing," he muttered.

"You never know unless you try, right?" Luffy asked with a grin.

"Don't be stupid," Mobambi muttered, looking away.

"Okay runt," Luffy replied. "Being a friend isn't just about staying together."

Vivi watched as their three strongest friends went after Kia and Chopper. She thought about what Luffy had said to Mobambi. She hoped that she would remember it when she eventually had to say goodbye.

* * *

"Um… Chopper?"

"Yeah?" he panted. He was definitely getting tired.

"It's hard to explain, you'd better just look."

Chopper glanced behind to see the Butler and his henchmen riding on the backs of the horn eaters in the front of the pack, and that they were gaining.

"Kia, quick! On my back!"

He stopped in front of a cliff side, setting her down and crouching in front of her. She jumped on his back, and he started climbing up the wall in front of them. Sometimes climbing, sometimes jumping, they quickly made their way to the top. Turning and looking below, they jumped back as Hot Dog's chain weapon flew by and bedded itself in the rock. They watched as the three men began climbing using the chain as a rope, following quickly up the cliff behind them.

They started running again, but Kia soon had to stop, a cramp in her side. "Go Chopper. I'll just hide somewhere," she said with a wince.

He looked at her, and nodded, helping her onto a tree ledge shaped oddly like mushroom. "I'll come back soon," he said, "once I get them away from you."

Kia nodded and he hopped down, and ran away. As Kia moved further in, the ledge beneath her suddenly broke, and she screamed as she fell down to the ground, landing awkwardly on the rubble. As she stood, something wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides, and she fell over again. Looking up, she saw Snake, his flexible sword around her, cutting slightly into her skin.

"Scream again, or I'll tighten it," he threatened. Kia just glared, refusing to open her mouth at all. Before he could do anything, she heard Chopper yell, "Kia! Are you okay?"

"Chopper, run! They'll get you!"

Snake dragged her upright, as Hot Dog found and began beating Chopper, punching him again and again, Chopper's little body flying back with each strike. Hot Dog held onto her arm, dragging her forward as Snake used his sword to back Chopper up onto another tree shelf hanging over the cliff edge. Kia saw a blur of color, and turned just in time to see Sanji kick the ledge, grabbing her and tossing her back to the ground as he and the ledge fell over the side. Kia scurried over to the side, to see Snake getting to his feet, glaring at Sanji standing over him.

"Who the hell are you?" Snake said angrily.

"A prince," Sanji replied with a little salute in Kia's direction. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What a show off." She turned to the voice, seeing Zoro hanging by one arm from the cliff side, Chopper in his other arm.

"Sanji! Zoro!" Chopper cheered happily. Zoro vaulted himself and Chopper up, dropping Chopper suddenly as he dodged an incoming attack from Hot Dog. Kia watched Zoro smirk, as he told Chopper that he would take care of Hot Dog.

Chopper started running, only to be caught by Baron Butler moments later. Butler grabbed Chopper's antlers, ready to break them off. Chopper tensed, ready to cry out, and Kia screamed his name, running for him. But she was too late.

"Gum gum ROCKET!"

Butler was shot off of Chopper, skidding across the ground and smashing into a rock.

"Luffy!" Chopper and Kia both said in relief.

"Chopper!" Usopp, Nami and Vivi came running up behind Luffy. Chopper looked so happy, as he squealed their names. "You guys came!"

Butler stood up yelling, pulling out his violin, and calling the horn eaters back again. The crew took off running, Luffy getting hit and bouncing away. Kia wasn't in their path, so she turned back to Sanji and Zoro. Knowing they could handle themselves, and they would be angry rather than grateful if she interfered… but she wanted to see them fight. And not like she did when they sparred. A real, life on the line, fight.

She went to the cliff edge, noting that both were now down in the shallow water, Snake edging Sanji towards the shadows of the trees, and Hot Dog edging Zoro out into the open field. She climbed down slowly, to make sure she went unnoticed.

She found a tree near the edge of the grove that provided good cover, and peeking around it, watched as Sanji exchanged blows with Snake. She wondered why Sanji was fighting the swordsman instead of Zoro, but then remembered how offended they each had been when these two had introduced themselves. Sanji obviously wanted to bring down the man who claimed to be the most handsome.

As Sanji went in for a kick, Snake up and disappeared. Sanji stood, glancing around, and Snake appeared behind him, his sword swinging. Kia winced as Sanji avoided serious injury, but he was definitely cut in many places.

She heard speaking behind her, and turned to see Hot Dog taunting Zoro, his chain wrapped several times around Zoro's torso. He stepped back and kicked out at Zoro again and again. They obviously were powerful kicks, but Zoro simply took them, standing back upright after each one.

She turned back around, checking on Sanji. He was getting up from the ground, Snake standing over him.

"Why do you keep fighting? I have obviously beaten you." His face took on a sly grin. "It's for one of those girls isn't it? Or perhaps all three? You keep fighting for them."

Sanji sat, a smirk on his face. "You don't get it. I vowed to protect my friends with my life. I'm fighting for all of them."

"Don't make me laugh." Snake sauntered forward, leaning down slightly. "You're weak, and you can't protect anything."

Sanji looked up, spitting his lit cigarette into Snake's face, making him reel back. Before Kia could blink, Sanji's foot followed, and she could hear him growl out "Weak?!"

He followed that kick with another, landing on his hands and flipping into another kick to Snakes's face. "Just who do you think you're dealing with!"

"Impossible," Snake muttered from the ground, his nose broken, and his face bloody. "How can you even move, after all those cuts I gave you?" he managed to ask before he fell unconscious.

"Idiot," Sanji replied, making sure the cigarette he spit out was properly extinguished. "Your cuts were nothing compared to his. Now who's the weakling?"

Kia held in her giggle, and turned back out to watch Zoro, as Sanji looked for his sunglasses. Zoro seemed to still be in the same predicament, he had the chain wrapped around him, and his face was bleeding from a cut somewhere. Hot Dog gave a flying tackle kick, sending Zoro falling back into the water. He turned, assuming he had finished him off, but turned back sensing Zoro back on his feet.

Zoro it seemed had finally had enough, and flexing his arms, shattered the chain that was around him.

"How in the …." Hot Dog asked.

"Kicks that can split steel? Don't make me laugh," Zoro answered with a smirk. He pulled his bandanna from his arm, and tied it over his head. He pulled out a sword, and challenged, "Let's see how strong you really are."

Hot Dog's face went red, and he went straight for Zoro, kicking with his might. For all his bravado, Zoro slipped, and went down on one knee. Hot Dog saw it as a weakness and tried to exploit it.

"You are weak from my kicks." He sneered at Zoro. "All your friends are done for, and you can't help them."

"I don't need to help them," Zoro replied. He tore the remains of his shirt aside and pulled out the other two swords. Kia had to admit, it was quite a sight. "They are strong… stronger than you'll ever know."

"What?!"

"Strength isn't about power, or techniques." Hot Dog didn't want to listen to a lecture, and jumped for Zoro, kicking out. "It's in the SOUL!" Zoro yelled, slashing out and blocking the kick, sending Hot Dog falling back.

"No!" Hot Dog yelled as he stood. "I'm the world's strongest! Now, you die!" He spun around, building momentum and launched himself at Zoro.

Kia watched in awe, as Zoro grinned. It was these moments, that he lived for. He spun his swords around, doing a complicated movement involving turns and slashes, calling out "Whirl…. Wind!"

Hot Dog was slashed, the wind from the swords carrying him up in what looked like an actual tornado.

"How… how? My kicks are the most powerful!" He landed with a crash behind Zoro, already out cold.

Zoro took his time, sheathing his swords. "I know a guy, who kicks way harder than you ever could." He went to pick up his torn shirt. "A really annoying guy," he finished. Kia was keeping her laughter in, but snorted out loud, and Zoro turned to glare at her. "Kia," he stated. "Tell anyone I said that, and I'll cut you."

Now she really laughed, because it was an empty threat, and they both knew it. He got more and more annoyed as we went to join the others, because she just couldn't stop laughing. She would calm down, and then look over at him and start back up again.

* * *

They rejoined everyone else as Luffy bazooka-ed Butler out of sight. The animals were cheering, and Mobambi was apologizing for losing the king's treasure. The animals didn't care, they wanted him to stay, because he was their friend. Kia stood next to Zoro, smiling as the kid tried to convince Chopper to stay with them as well, then realizing he couldn't, tried to push him away to make it easier to say goodbye.

The noise stopped them all, and they watched as the plumes of water from the underwater volcanoes shot up all around the island. She wasn't sure exactly how it happened, and would explain it as the colors of the sunset reflecting off the mist from the plumes, but the water looked golden. They all looked around in awe, the golden crown surrounding the island, and the animals explained that it was the answer to a prophecy long ago, and that Heaven had accepted their new king.

"Mobambi."

The boy looked at Chopper, as he walked over, tears streaming down his face.

"We'll always be friends Mobambi, even if we're far apart." Mombambi continued to bawl, and soon enough Chopper had joined him, wailing, as they watched with small smiles on their faces.

The crew had to go, even if they wanted to stay and celebrate, but they had no time to spare. The animals filled the ship with fruit, worrying that if would go bad before they could eat it, but Luffy just asked for more, and they were happy to oblige.

"What an adventure,"Vivi said, as they sailed off. The crew sat together on deck, Luffy on Merry's Head, looking out on the horizon.

"And no treasure to make it worthwhile," Nami commented.

"What? We got the real treasure back!" Zoro said.

"Real treasure? What did you find?" Chopper asked excitedly.

"You, Chopper. And-" Luffy said.

"And Vivi and Kia!" Sanji sang, interrupting Luffy.

Kia looked at Nami and Vivi and they rolled their eyes, then giggled.

"What's so funny?" Zoro demanded.

"Oh yeah, I meant to tell everyone…" Zoro tensed and glared daggers at Kia.

"What's that?" Usopp asked.

"I got to watch Sanji and Zoro fight those two henchmen, and it was really impressive."

"Oh, thank you Kia my love!" Sanji swooned. Zoro just watched, waiting for her to tell what he said.

"AND… it was really funny, because after they beat them, and they were out cold on the ground… both Zoro and Sanji talked to them, and insulted them." The crew looked confused, and Sanji tensed as well.

"So what did they say?" Usopp asked, glancing at both Sanji and Zoro, unsure what the issue was.

Kia just laughed, the looks she was getting was too much. "Pretty much the same thing. _ _Now who's the best?__ " she said in a fake, macho sounding voice. The others laughed, and Sanji and Zoro both gave grateful smiles.

"Pretty dumb to copy what I said," Sanji said to Zoro as he walked to the kitchen.

"What?!"

The girls rolled their eyes again, as the wind picked up.

"On to Alabasta!" Luffy called out.


	23. Chapter 23: His Name is Ace!

"Tell me the truth Luffy! No, don't look away."

"I don't know what you mean Sanji, nope, no clue."

Kia listened with only half an ear, as she knew this wouldn't end well. They all knew that Luffy had eaten practically every scrap of food on the ship while they were asleep last night, with Usopp, Karoo, and Chopper helping to finish it off this morning. What Sanji wanted however, was a confession before he kicked Luffy across the ship.

"Please Nami," Sanji called up. Nami, Vivi and Kia looked down at him. "Can't we buy a refrigerator that locks?" Kia smiled a bit, noting Sanji's pink cheeks. No matter what he spoke of, he just loved talking to Nami.

"We may have to," Nami replied. "It seems it could be the difference between life and death at some point."

Kia glanced at Nami. "Couldn't we just install a lock of some sort? Rather than buying an entirely new fridge?"

"Hmm, I think you're on to something there, it would be much cheaper too. But I haven't heard of anything like that before."

"We could just wrap a chain around it and lock it," Vivi added. "Until we find a better solution."

"We shouldn't worry about it now anyway, we don't have food to lock up, and we're almost to Alabasta." Nami dismissed the conversation for now.

Vivi got more and more quiet as time went on, so Kia stuck with her as she wandered the ship. Kia tried to get her to open up, knowing she would feel better if she talked about it. They talked about a few things, though she never went into detail. Kia tried bringing up the rebels, anything to start her talking, but she remained silently stewing.

The pair stayed up on the balcony by the kitchen, not speaking, but enjoying each others' company all the same. They supported each other as the ship sailed through a patch of steam rising from underwater hot spots, listening to Nami explain about how new islands were formed with magma. And they stayed silently observing as Zoro helped fish a man dressed as a ballerina out of the ocean, who was found on Karoo as they exited the steam. No one knew where he had come from, but he fell in the water and said he couldn't swim, so Luffy wanted to help him.

Kia was sure her facial expression was very different from Vivi's as they watched the strange man interact with the crew. Kia was smiling, and giggling at their shock and amazement, watching as Bon Clay became each of them, showing off his clone-clone fruit powers. Once he showed Cobra's face however, and Vivi gasped, Kia could see she was trembling. She put her hand on Vivi's arm, and murmured, "It will be okay," to her.

She knew Vivi gave her a strange look, but it couldn't be helped. Hopefully, she would just think she was being kind, not knowing what had upset her. Kia wasn't sure though, and tried to take comfort in her own words. This was the point where everyone on the crew fought together, and Kia still didn't know how she was going to be able to contribute, or even if she could. Her idea of fighting was wrestling with her sister. She hadn't thrown punches or kicks before and was starting to get worried.

Before she realized it, Bon Clay had left, and Vivi was talking to the crew about Mr. 2, since they had discovered his identity. Sanji also joined from the storage room, brought out by Nami's wailing as she realized that Mr. 2 made it impossible to even trust their own friends.

"Wait, this guy's impersonations were that good?" Sanji asked skeptically.

"It wasn't just good Sanji, it was exactly the same!" Usopp replied. "The body and the voice were an exact match! He turned into each of us, and then, we got to dance with him! You should have seen it."

"Ugh," Sanji made a face. "I'm not interested in watching you dance with a male ballerina, thanks anyway."

"I'm glad we met Mr. 2 when we did," Zoro said. "Now we know his power, and we can prepare." He looked around at each of them. "Here's my idea."

As Zoro explained not only his idea, but how they would use it, everyone but Luffy began nodding along.

"What a good idea!" Vivi said.

"Yeah, we'll always know who our friends are," Nami added.

"Oh!" Luffy grinned, as Zoro came to him with a marker.

"Well? What should the mark be Captain?" Zoro asked.

"An X!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's perfect for pirates. And it's even better now, because it's a sign of our friendship!"

They got to work, marking each person's left arm and covering the mark with a bandage.

"Is that tight enough Chopper?" Kia asked. "I want it to able to stay on, but not hurt if you need to transform."

"Maybe a little looser then, Kia." Chopper replied, then giggled and she grinned at how adorable it was. "It's neat to have a sign of our friendship."

"Well, then Sanji and I need one as well!" Kia said loudly, having the rest of the crew turn to her.

"But Kia, Mr. 2 can't impersonate you and Sanji," Nami explained. "We'll know that you are you."

"True, but we're a part of the crew, and it's a sign of our friendship, so we need one." She grabbed the marker, and turned to Sanji. "Ready?"

"Of course!" Sanji's voice only had a slight coo to it, he was taking this as seriously as she was. He rolled up his sleeve, and she drew a big X on his arm, then handed the marker to him to draw hers.

Zoro handed Kia a bandage, and she noted that he was smiling as well, though it was a small smile, she still felt victorious. She then knelt down to let Chopper tie her bandage on.

"Is that tight enough Kia?" he asked.

"It's perfect Chopper."

* * *

The crew approached Nanohana, and listened to Nami as she gave instructions to Luffy about thinking before he did anything stupid. He assured them all that he understood, and he'd do his best.

Chopper and Luffy were complaining about the lack of food and the heat, and everyone sympathized with Chopper, and ignored Luffy. Both quickly perked up as they brought the Merry to dock just outside of town.

"Now you guys, I want everyone on their best behavior while we're here, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"You do realize that the one who needs to hear that is already gone?" Zoro asked sarcastically.

"That moron!" Nami yelled angrily.

"Don't worry, we'll find him later." Sanji said, jumping from the ship.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "Luffy can take care of himself. Let's go get some food."

"Stick with Zoro and Sanji, Chopper" Kia told him, ushering him ahead. "They'll help you while you're learning how to be a pirate."

"Okay Kia!" Chopper said excitedly, and jumped down after Zoro.

"Come on Vivi," Nami said. "Let's go."

"I can't, and neither can Karoo. We're too recognizable here." Vivi replied. "We'll stay and watch the ship."

"Sorry Vivi," Kia added. "But that's my job. Usopp? You can help disguise Vivi and Karoo can't you?"

"Of course, but… are you sure you want to stay here Kia?"

"Yeah, I don't like leaving Merry all alone. Just make sure to get supplies for me too, okay?" She walked up to Vivi, and lowered her voice so only Vivi could hear her. "You need to go Vivi, you need to see for yourself how your country is doing."

Vivi paused, searching Kia's eyes. She either found what she was looking for, or decided to forget it, because she turned away and strode over to the ladder. "Okay, Kia. I'll go."

Kia waved goodbye to the crew, and then started over to the storage room. She hoped Chopper and Usopp would forgive her, because she was about to raid their areas to find some kind of weapon, and she figured she would have to macgyver something together.

Down in storage, there was a few things to pick through, though it was now mostly scrap, as Usopp had dismantled any weapons that were found. There were no blades, and Kia was somewhat relieved. She knew that would be the best, but she really didn't want to cut anyone, she just wanted to be able to perhaps knock them out.

She searched the entire ship for what felt like hours, but came up empty handed. She finally grabbed a small sack that she could tie around her waist, and filled it with some of Usopp's ammunition, though she stayed away from the Tabasco stars. She grabbed lead stars and caltrops, thinking that it would at least give her a way to create a distraction, enough so that she could get away. She decided to try to stick with one of the monster trio in the upcoming fights.

She went downstairs again, looking for any sacks and things that they would need to take with them to carry supplies. She looked around, grabbing anything that seemed helpful, then headed back on deck, and sat down to wait for the others. She soon got back up, because sitting led to thinking, and she didn't want to think about what all was coming. If she thought too much about it, she would try to plan her every move, and she knew she couldn't do that. If she tried, she would inevitably forget something, and wind up worse off than if she just took everything as it came.

Kia looked over at the horizon, seeing the huge cloud of dark smoke that appeared, and started making preparations to set sail. She lowered the ladder, just as she heard, "Kia! Lower the… oh. Nevermind!"

She grinned at Zoro as he came on board, taking the sacks from each of them as they came up. Everyone was in a panic, and ran around quickly to stow the supplies. She followed behind, unhurried. Nami yelled, "We're shoving off right away!"

"Wait, we're leaving again? We just got here." Chopper asked.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" the guys called out, and Nami answered, "Set sail!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kia asked, and everyone froze.

"Ugh! It's not some __thing,__ it's some ONE!" Nami shouted.

Everyone realized then that Luffy was not there, and Zoro let out everyone's frustration.

"That stupid moron!"

* * *

"What're you doing here Ace?"

"You didn't receive my message, back on Drum Island, huh?"

"A message?"

"And… that's a no. No matter though, it was just to tell you I'd be here in Alabasta for a couple of days. I'm here on business for the Whitebeard pirates."

"Whoa, cool." Luffy started walking and Ace followed suit.

"So Luffy, tell me about your crew. What are they like?"

"They're amazing! There's a tough guy who uses three swords, and wants to be the world's greatest swordsman. A navigator that likes maps and tangerines, and money. There's a cook who makes really yummy food. And a liar, a lost girl who tells great stories, and a doctor- who happens to be a reindeer!"

"Sounds like quite the crew."

"Oh, and we also have a princess and her giant duck… but I'm still looking for a musician."

"You haven't changed. Let's go find your crew."

"They're probably at the ship. So, we'll have to find that."

"You know, a pirate captain usually knows where his ship is…"

"Yeah, but I was hungry, so I forgot."

"Yep," Ace said with a grin. "Haven't changed at all."

* * *

The crew set sail anyway after arguing for a minute, but when Vivi said she knew of a cove that would be more secluded, they decided it was the best idea, since Luffy wouldn't remember where they had docked.

Kia settled next to Chopper, avoiding Nami's yelling about changing into the dancer outfit they had brought her, and asking him about their adventures in Nanohana. He was really excited, and told her all about it, and she made appropriate comments, like "How exciting!" and "You were so brave!". Once he mentioned the awful perfume, she said, "but it will come in handy if you ever get separated from us."

"What? Why would I get separated? Are you leaving me behind?" Kia quickly tried to calm Chopper down, though Sanji, who had been close by, took over and explained how they needed to be prepared for anything to happen because they were pirates. That worked like a charm, and now Chopper was proud to be prepared, just like a pirate.

Nami climbed to the crow's nest and she and Sanji combed the shore using binoculars, looking for their captain.

"There's Luffy," Nami called.

"You sure?" Zoro questioned.

"Yeah, it's his stupid face all right," Sanji added. "uh oh."

"What?"

"Hey guys!" Luffy called as he grabbed onto the ship with his outstretched arm and sling shot himself over, crashing into Sanji and Chopper.

"Sanji! Tony! Are you guys okay?" Vivi called from the balcony.

"Welcome back Captain," Kia said with a smile.

"Kia!" Nami yelled again. "Go change!"

Sanji handed Kia her new clothes, and though she tried to convince everyone that she didn't need them, Nami threatened to punch her if she didn't wear them.

Since she wasn't going to get a shower for a few days, Kia took her time getting clean and putting on her dancer outfit. It was actually really pretty. Nami's had been the most elaborate, with both dark blue and pink around the white fabric. Vivi's was purple, and Kia wasn't sure if purple was a symbol of royalty here, but either way it was a good choice for her. Her own was a lighter blue, and once she put it on, and looked in the mirror, she saw that it really brought out the color of her eyes.

She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, Sanji was pretty fashionable after all. Since her hair was still damp, she left it down, wanting it to be dry before she braided it. The thick auburn waves weren't too bad when left alone, but she didn't like how it looked when she braided it wet. She knew it was silly, but her hair was the one thing she loved about herself.

Taking a last glance in the mirror, and feeling exposed, she thought she could probably get Luffy to agree to let her wear her normal clothes. So determined, she walked back to the door, and heard Luffy saying "aren't they interesting?" and laughing. She knew should ask quickly, before the others could chime in. If she got Luffy to agree to let her change, the others couldn't say anything about it.

"Captain?" Kia called out as she opened the door, walking out onto the deck. "Permission to put some normal clothes back on?"

Everyone turned to look at her, and she could swear Sanji's eye was a heart. __How did he DO that?__

"But Kia my heart, you look ravishing! And now you match Nami and Vivi!" Sanji cooed at her. __It looked like he was about to swoon taking in the sight of all three of us,__ she thought.

"Wow, Kia," Usopp said, his eyes wide.

"Wow what, Usopp?" Kia asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Uh, nothing," he said hastily.

"And this is Kia!" Luffy said. "Kia, this is my brother, Ace!" gesturing to the man behind him at the railing.

It had been awhile since she had seen him, and she mentally kicked herself for agreeing to wear what she was. He had been wearing all black winter clothes in Drum Kingdom, making him look like a cowboy, but now, he looked like a man who lived on the ocean- cargo shorts, shoes and his trademark hat, and he looked better than she remembered.

He took his time looking her up and down, and she swallowed nervously, but then he grinned at her, and held out his hand.

"Nice to see you again, Kiana," he said, and with a strange sounding giggle, she put her hand in his.

"Luffy's brother, huh?" she asked. "Small world."

"Baroque works!" Vivi called out suddenly, and they all turned. Behind the Merry there was several ships closing in.

"Luffy, let me handle this," Ace said. He then did a back flip off the side of the ship. The crew all ran to the side, and saw that he had landed in his small boat.

"Whoa, look at him go! His boat is powered by flames!" Nami said incredulously.

They all watched, amazed as Ace soared into the air while his boat dipped in the water. He jumped all the way over a ship, landing just as his boat came back up to the surface. He was now lined up with the Baroque Works ships. They heard him yell, "Fire Fist!" and flame exploded from his arm into the ship. It traveled forward until it went into and destroyed every last ship. By the time he finished, there was nothing but scrap lumber and burning masts in the water.

Kia kept her eye on Ace as he pushed his hat brim up with a single burning finger and a smirk on his face. Her face was aflame, as she tried not to dwell on how he looked. __After how badly I bawled after watching the anime, I shouldn't get myself too attached,__ she thought. She glanced over at Luffy's grinning face. __But could I just do nothing?__

After Ace rejoined the crew, Sanji passed out drinks, and they continued to sail towards Erumalu. Ace told them all about chasing after Blackbeard, and Chopper and Kia exchanged looks, before she shook her head. She knew more about Blackbeard than she ever wanted to, and didn't want to get into it again.

"He was one of my men, but he committed the worst crime a pirate could. He killed a fellow crew member and jumped ship. It's my responsibility to take care of him. That, and I promised I would."

Kia looked up at his words, noticing that Ace was looking right at her, and she flushed at the attention. She remembered when she had met him in Robelli town, and Dalton had told him of Judith, he promised that he would find and take care of Blackbeard. The memory caused her to smile.

"I heard he was in a place called Yuba, so that's where I'm headed." Kia glanced back up, hoping that no one had noticed the interaction. Though, from Sanji's glare, and Nami's smirk, she was probably wrong.

"Hey, that's where we're going, isn't it Vivi?" Nami asked.

"Yes, exactly," Vivi replied.

"I guess I'll tag along then, if that's all right?" Ace asked Luffy.

"I'll follow you girls anywhere!" Sanji added.

"Hopefully, it's off a cliff…" a quiet voice muttered.

"What was that Zoro?!" Sanji stalked over to start fighting, and Nami yelled at them to stop, which caused Sanji to agree immediately, averting the fight.


	24. Chapter 24: Erumalu- A City No More

The crew began their journey upriver, Chopper settling himself in front of Zoro as he worked out, the breeze from Zoro swinging his weights helping with the oppressive heat. Ace, Luffy, and Usopp joined Sanji in the kitchen, as he was making tea and a snack.

Kia tried to disappear downstairs, but Luffy pulled her along into the kitchen, and she found herself sitting next to Ace, waiting for tea, as Luffy told Ace more about his crew.

"So, Miss Kiana," Ace drawled, once Luffy was done, and she tensed. "Luffy oddly didn't know anything about my message for him. I realize you probably didn't have a chance to give it to him…"

Kia face palmed, and turned to him sheepishly. "Sorry about that, but by the time I saw Luffy, everything happened so quickly. Luffy fighting Wapol, zip-lining down the mountain, meeting Chopper and then Luffy basically demanding I join his crew… it's not a good excuse I know, but I forgot."

Ace held up a hand, "Don't worry Kiana, it all turned out all right-"

"How come Ace calls you Kiana, Kia?" Luffy asked, interrupting.

"Kiana is my full name, Luffy. Ace was never told my nickname, so he only knows me as Kiana. I'm sure he'll call me Kia now," she answered.

"Not likely," Ace chimed in, and she turned to him with a questioning look. He didn't respond, just smiled, so she continued.

"Anyway... uh, nicknames are fun, like how you're Straw hat, or Usopp is long nose. We could call Ace…" Now it was her turn to smirk at him. "Flame-brain."

"Shi-shi-shi! That's funny!"

" _ _Don't__ call me that."

Kia had watched Ace's expression go from a smile to deadpan in a blink. His deadpan was so good, she couldn't tell if he was angry or not, so she shrugged and dropped it. Feeling awkward, and seeing that Ace looked uncomfortable, she decided she'd better leave.

"I'd better go get ready, we'll arrive soon," Kia said as she quickly stood up and left the kitchen.

* * *

Ace looked up in surprise as Kiana left the room. He felt a little guilty, because she probably thought he had been angry about her teasing, but he had only been trying to make sure Luffy knew that using her suggested nickname would end up badly for him _ _.__

He mulled over what had happened, she had walked out of the ship's interior earlier she was smiling, and had no problem speaking her mind. Once he realized who she was, or more to the point, once _ _she__ realized __he__ was there… she became silent, just as she had when he first met her. With less blushing this time.

 _ _Maybe I'm the one making her uncomfortable?__ he thought. __I just think she needs to smile more, but maybe I'm pushing? Pops always tells me I push people when I think they should do something…__

He didn't mind steering others to his way of thinking, but he'd feel bad if he was actually making her upset or nervous. __Unless…__ he smirked into his tea.

"Ace?" Luffy asked. "You have the same look you used to when we would go hunting for that huge tiger…"

"It's nothing Luffy," he replied, his smile still remaining. __I'll have to test that theory,__ he mused.

* * *

Kia found Vivi and Nami, and together they found the cover ups they would need in the desert. Kia also found something for Luffy to wear, since they hadn't gotten anything for him earlier, and she used the free moment to change back into her normal t-shirt and pants. With the cover up on, no one would be able to tell until it was too late, and she felt much more comfortable.

The crew made it outside Erumalu without incident, gathered the supplies, and disembarked. Sanji tried to carry all of the girls' supplies, but Vivi and Kia refused, wanting to do their part.

"How do I do this?" Luffy asked. Kia turned to look at him, seeing his head covering wrapped around his torso, with one arm pinned to his side.

"How did you manage this, Captain?" she asked with a laugh. "Here, let me help you."

"Thanks Kia."

It took a few minutes to get him untangled. "This is for your head, Captain. Did you want to leave your hat on underneath?"

"Can I? Yeah, that's awesome!" She helped wrap the cover over his hat, and around his neck, making sure any skin was covered.

"Just don't pull it loose, you really don't want a sunburn on your neck. It would hurt really badly."

"Thanks! Let's go everyone!"

Kia stumbled back as Luffy shot forward, but was caught before she fell. "Thanks Sanji," she said.

"What Kia, my heart?" Sanji asked, from her left. She kept turning, and saw Ace behind her, his arm holding her steady.

"Um, thanks," she said, embarrassed.

"No problem," he replied, and she glanced back to look at him before moving ahead.

* * *

"Good job Chopper," Kia said to the doctor, and everyone else chimed in to agree that without him they would have had a big problem with the dugongs.

"No thanks to Luffy," Zoro added.

"Oh come on Zoro, it's not Luffy's fault," Kia argued, just for the fun of it. "Usopp's the one who jumped out first. Luffy was just… uh, helping."

"Right," Zoro said sarcastically. Though he did aim a glare at Usopp, who cringed. Luffy laughed, and put an arm over her shoulders.

"Thanks for trying Kia, but it kinda was my fault."

She grinned back at him. "I've got your back, Captain," she said. He kept her close as they trudged up another hill, and reaching the top, overlooked the city which was half buried in sand.

"Are we at Yuba already?" Luffy asked her in surprise.

"No," Kia replied. "This is Erumalu."

"Look around everyone," Vivi stated angrily. "This is what Baroque Works had been doing to my country!" Her face, and her voice fell in despair. "This is what my people have had to go through."

"I thought Erumalu was the city of green?" Nami asked. "How did it get to this?"

"The rain hasn't fallen in over three years now," Vivi started, as they continued to walk through town. "The people normally would use the water from the river when the rain was scarce. With all the sandstorms added to the lack of rain, the river was soon dry. Then, in the capital they discovered a wagon full of dance powder headed for the palace."

Kia looked on through the city as they walked past, Nami explaining to everyone how dance powder worked, and Vivi telling of how the king was blamed for the lack of rain, and later discovered dance powder inside the palace, which led to cities being abandoned, and the people rebelling against the king.

Everyone was quiet, finally realizing the depth of Vivi's plight. She continued to cry out in frustration, and Luffy became more and more angry, finally punching a building into rubble.

"Hope that made him feel better," Zoro commented.

"Vivi! Let's keep going!" Luffy shouted, striding off in front of the group, eager to get to Yuba.

* * *

"Ugh, so hot…" Chopper moaned from his prone position on a makeshift sled.

"Just take off the reindeer costume, and you'll be fine," Usopp said, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"WHAT?! Are you making fun of me?" Chopper demanded, shifting to his humanoid form.

"Ah! Monster!"

Kia listened halfheartedly, as Chopper and Usopp threatened each other. Luffy led the pack, leaning heavily on a walking stick, complaining with each step. Nami, Vivi and Sanji walked along, obviously uncomfortable, but not willing to complain about it.

"Chopper, I'll only pull you if you turn small," Zoro said as he pushed on Chopper's head. Chopper quickly reverted back to his brain point form, and laid back down. Just that little effort had already overheated him.

"Are you doing okay Kia?" Sanji called back to her.

"Yeah," she said, though she knew she was almost at her limit. "I'll probably need a break soon though."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for some rocks so we can take a break in the shade."

"Thanks," she replied, her head down, as she was focusing on just taking each step. She pushed herself further, refusing to be the weak link, and Chopper didn't count, he couldn't take the heat. If the others could keep going, so could she.

She didn't hear much after that, just kept telling herself, __Left foot, right foot,__ over and over again in order to keep moving.

* * *

Ace slowed down yet again, and wondered if Kiana even realized that she was falling behind. It seemed Zoro had the same idea he did, because the two of them remained at the back of the group, no matter the pace the others set.

He looked ahead as the group up front began fighting over water, with Vivi trying to break it up. He looked over at Kiana again, but she continued to plod along, her feet dragging in the sand, her head down. He could see she was waning, and he stepped forward to offer to help again. She had denied any help last time she was offered, but he'd try again, and insist he take her pack.

He said her name, and she stopped, but didn't reply, so he came around to face her. He didn't speak, however, since her eyes were closed, but he could see her face was very red. He was used to that, and even enjoyed flustering her a bit, but this was different. She was definitely overheated.

"She okay?" Zoro asked, coming up behind him.

"I don't think-" he stopped as Kiana fell over, barely catching her from flopping onto the desert floor.

"Hmm, coming from a winter island like Chopper, she must not be used to the climate," Zoro said. "Looks like we'll need to put another sled together."

"We'll be stopping pretty soon for the night," Ace said, looking at the position of the sun. "I can carry her until then."

"There's no need," Zoro said. "I can take her, if you'll pull Chopper."

Ace wasn't sure why, but he insisted again to Zoro that he would carry Kiana. He berated himself, looking at her, unsure of how to hold her… where to put his hands… __Oh great…__

"Oh no, is she okay?" Vivi came running up, the others not far behind.

"She's fine, just overdid herself today," Ace replied. "A little rest, and she'll be good as new."

"I can carry her," Sanji said, and Ace didn't like the look on his face, or the way he said it, so he refused again.

"I've got her, just wondering the best way to carry her."

"Like a princess of course!" Sanji said, demonstrating with empty arms.

"That won't work," Zoro chimed in, coming back up with Chopper in tow. "Her face will get sunburned. Better over your shoulder."

While the two of them argued, Ace decided that while Sanji's idea was the more delicate, Zoro's plan made more sense. It would be bad if he got Kiana sunburned because of how he carried her. He hefted her up, and over his shoulder, realizing too late, where his hand ended up. He quickly moved his hand lower, across her legs, and set off again, face as red as hers.

* * *

Kia slowly opened her eyes, feeling extremely tired, and hot, though not as badly as before. It was dark, so obviously she had passed out, and her heart sank as she realized she hadn't been strong enough to last the day. She looked around, seeing tents erected, and a camp fire nearby. Feeling like a failure, she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Kia! You're okay!" She startled as she suddenly had a lap full of Chopper, who was hugging her around the waist, and crying.

"Oh, of course I am, silly. I guess I just needed a rest," she said, and looked up, and met everyone's faces, some smiling, some still looking concerned. She wondered morosely how much time they had lost since they had stopped for her. "Well, doctor? What's the diagnosis?" she asked Chopper, faking her cheer.

"Heat exhaustion," Chopper said sniffing, as he sat up. "You should have been drinking more water, and told us when you needed a break." Chopper switched to doctor mode, and his voice became scolding instead of sad.

"I'm sorry, we're just so limited on supplies and time… I didn't want to make our situation worse, and I did the exact opposite. I'm so sorry Vivi, to make you all stop for me, all the wasted time."

"It's okay, we didn't have to stop," Vivi comforted Kia. "But from now on, you need to take care of yourself. We were worried."

"Yeah, or Ace will have to carry you again," Nami added, a sly grin on her face.

Kia looked over to Ace in surprise, as he gave her a tilt of his hat. It was hard to not be embarrassed when someone had carried your unconscious body for hours, but she knew she had to thank him. He had literally kept her from making Vivi too late to save her people.

She slowly walked over to Ace, and looked down at the sand in front of him. "Um, I'm not sure how to express it, besides thank you. It just doesn't seem like enough."

"It's no problem, really," Ace said, waving it away.

"If we had had to stop because of me, and Vivi was too late, I don't think I could have ever forgiven myself," Kia said quietly. "Just… thank you."

"Well it wasn't so bad, except when your stomach starting growling," he said, pulling her hand to get her to sit. "Here, you're probably starving," he smiled, offering her his plate of food.

She looked from him to the plate, and back to him, her mouth hanging open. __I'm about to die…__ she moaned to herself. __And is Ace offering me his own food? Isn't he a bottomless pit like Luffy?__

She hesitated, expecting him to pull it back at any moment, but eventually she took the plate from him. "Thanks," she said quietly, staring down at the food for a few moments.

"It helps to, you know, __eat__ it," he teased her, and she quickly stuffed a huge bite into her mouth, nodding at him even as her face flushed, and she scooted slightly away from him.

They all ate dinner, and eventually Kia started yawning. "You should get some sleep," Chopper told her from her lap. He turned to cuddle with her. "Here, I'll help keep you warm."

"But Chopper!" they looked over to Usopp, where he and Zoro were waiting for Chopper to come back to their huddle. Usopp looked so upset at the idea of Chopper not helping to keep them warm.

"We'll just cuddle all together, right Kia?" Luffy said as he came toward her.

"Uh, Luffy…" Ace started, looking shocked, but stopped as Kiana laughed.

"While I'm sure you'd be a great cuddler, Captain, I'll sleep with the girls." She looked down at Chopper with a smile. "It's okay Chopper, you go ahead and keep the guys warm." Chopper looked reluctant, but finally went over to the group of guys. Luffy pounced on him, and they all quickly fell asleep in a tangle of limbs.

"If we get to choose-" Sanji started, but the three girls just pointed over to the other side of the fire, and he slunk off, dejected.

"He'll never learn," Nami said quietly, and they giggled as they watched Sanji try to find a place to join the huddle without being near any part of Zoro.

"What about you Ace?" Nami asked, and Kia scoffed.

"He's made of fire Nami, I'm pretty sure he's fine," she answered for him. "He didn't even break a sweat at the hottest part of the day, and I doubt he even feels the heat or cold."

"What, really?" Nami asked him, and he gave a small smile.

"In fact, if those guys were smart, they would have cuddled up to Ace instead of Chopper," Kia continued.

Ace let out a grunt at that, and said "I'm not much of a cuddler."

"Oh, too bad…" Kia said, and he looked at her in surprise. Her eyes went wide as she realized how that could be taken, and Nami and Vivi started giggling. "Uh, that's not… uh… oh crap." She put her face in her hands, trying to stave off the embarrassment. "I just meant, you don't know what you're missing," she tried again, only to have the other two girls laugh even louder, and Ace give her a smirk as she hid her face in horror.


	25. Chapter 25: Is That, A Camel?

The next day started rough, with a sandstorm that woke everyone by blowing over the tents and burying the people in sand. Ace seemed to try to stay apart from the rest of the crew, but between Vivi's kindness and Sanji's questions, he kept getting brought back in. Though he could admit the group was intriguing, and entertaining.

Kia felt and did much better, and since Luffy announced he would carry her share, she felt stronger too. Still wanting to do her part, she focused on keeping everyone happy. Her first thought, was to distract them. If they didn't focus on the heat, or being thirsty, then the journey would be easier.

"Ugh, it's so hot!" she heard Chopper say.

"I'm so thirsty!" Luffy said.

"Hey Luffy!" Kia called, moving closer to him. "What if, you woke up this morning, and you were half man, half robot like a cyborg?"

"Huh?" Luffy said, looking back at her in confusion. "I'm not half robot Kia."

"I know, silly. But what if you were?"

"Huh... If I was? That would be so cool! I'd walk like this…" Luffy showed off his robot walk, "and talk… like… this," and demonstrated his robot voice. "It would be awesome!"

"I don't know Luffy," Usopp said, scratching his chin. "You probably wouldn't be rubber if you were half robot. There's no such thing as a rubber cyborg."

"I'd be the first!" Luffy yelled, punching a fist up in the air.

Kia chuckled at his enthusiasm. "What if someone else had your powers? Or if you traded powers. How different would you and Ace be if you had each others' devil fruit powers?"

"Luffy would probably set the ship on fire," Zoro commented dryly.

"Or burn the food, trying to get it to cook faster," Sanji added.

This time it was Vivi and Nami that were laughing. "I don't think I could picture Ace using Luffy's powers," Nami said. "That would be so strange."

"Oh I don't know," Kia argued. "I think he'd probably have different names for the moves for sure though," she looked over at Ace in contemplation, and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What had you thinking about this?" Nami asked Kia with a smile.

"Well, if you want to beat a devil fruit user, you need to think about what their powers are capable of."

"That's a smart way to think Kia," Zoro said, and Kia grinned. Getting praise from Zoro didn't happen often, and was always an amazing build of confidence when it did. "Are you thinking of how to beat our captain?" he asked.

Kia laughed out loud at that. "No, he's too wonderful for that," she said and Luffy beamed at her, even as the others shook their heads. "I just like to play What If. Thinking about how things would be if one thing was different. Even knowing Luffy's weaknesses, I wouldn't be able to beat him, he's a natural fighter," she replied.

"You sure think highly of your captain," Ace mused, and Luffy grinned again. "But I'm curious how you would determine what our powers are capable of, and how to beat Luffy and me?" He asked her with a smile on his face, so she decided to humor him.

"Well, it would take some time to think about fully, but off the top of my head… with Luffy, I'd think about freezing him somehow."

That got strange looks from just about everyone, and she shrugged. "I would think that rubber wouldn't work well if it was frozen, so Luffy wouldn't be able to stretch like he normally could, and his attacks wouldn't be the same, which would throw him off. But…" she continued speaking through her thought process, tapping her chin, "his body heat __could__ work to counteract that… hmm. I'd have to give it some thought."

"I guess you'd try to get me in water then, hmm?" Ace smirked at her this time.

"That would technically work for any devil fruit user, wouldn't it?" Kia quipped back. "No, with you I'd lean more towards the unexpected. Using oxygen maybe, getting the fire out of your control, which would be a big distraction for you."

Ace looked surprised. "That would definitely be unexpected," he said seriously, his attention fully on her now.

Kia's mind started moving a mile a minute, because she was suddenly faced with an opportunity that she hadn't been planning on. Part of her mind wanted desperately to warn Ace about his upcoming fight with Blackbeard, most especially because it led to his death. But… it also kept Blackbeard from coming after Luffy, and who knew who would be targeted by Teach if he didn't get Ace… __AARGH! There are too many unknowns… and it was too dangerous. But I don't want him to die… and what about Luffy?__

In that moment, Kia went with her heart, ignoring every good reason not to.

"Or, I'd just void your devil fruit powers."

Ace stopped in his tracks and looked at Kia, causing Luffy and then everyone else to stop as well. They were looking at either Ace or Kia with curiosity, except for Zoro who looked bored, though that's how he always looked when he was paying attention.

"How would you do that?" he asked. "Are you talking sea prism stone, or are you still playing What If?" Ace asked, interested.

"That's one way certainly, though anyone with devil fruit powers could avoid it. But there are devil fruits whose power can negate others. One I've heard of is the Dark-Dark fruit. From what I heard, the user draws everything into their darkness, basically making it so that the other devil fruit user can't access their powers, and the darkness nullifies the attacks anyway" she said, then turned forward and started walking again, the others following suit. "Someone with that power could seem invincible. That's another reason why it's essential to know how to fight without always relying on your devil fruit powers, like you and Luffy can."

Luffy and Ace both grinned at her suddenly, and she smiled back. __They truly look like brothers in this moment.__

She looked at Ace, thinking hard. She couldn't tell if Ace was just interested in the idea, if he had heard of the Dark- Dark fruit before, or if he even knew that it was the fruit Blackbeard had been waiting for. She couldn't just tell him about it straight out, there would be far too many questions, but... perhaps she would end up regretting it later if she somehow made things worse, but she knew for certain she would regret doing nothing. It may not be much, but it could have dire consequences.

Kia also realized in that moment, that while she wasn't ready to make huge changes, there were small things that she could do to make life a little easier for the crew. She decided to start there, and see how things went.

"Hey Sanji, let's eat some of your box lunches," Luffy said, breaking the silence.

"No. Not until Vivi says it's okay," Sanji replied.

Luffy turned his grin to Vivi. "Come on Vivi, let's have lunch!"

"But Luffy," Vivi said, her conviction wavering under his enthusiasm. "We're not even a tenth of the way to Yuba yet…"

"Vivi, haven't you ever heard the proverb? Whenever you are hungry, you must eat!"

"Is that true?" Chopper asked Zoro, who shook his head and sighed.

"No," Usopp grumbled. "The big liar just makes stuff like that up!" Chopper nodded, as though he wasn't surprised.

"How about we stop for lunch at the next rocks we find?" Vivi suggested. "That way we can rest in the shade?"

"Yeah! Let's find rocks, "Luffy cheered. "Okay! Whoever wins at rock, paper, scissors gets to carry everybody's stuff!"

"Don't you mean whoever loses carries the stuff?" Sanji asked.

"Ready?"

"Oh hey, Usopp!" Kia interrupted suddenly. "I bet I can find rocks before you can!"

"What?" Usopp stared at her in disbelief. "I have sniper goggles Kia, there's no way you'll win."

"I guess we'll find out!" she said and started moving quickly ahead, hoping the distraction worked.

"Hey, wait for me Kia! I'll find the rocks!" Luffy called.

"Great! You'll be on my team then!" she yelled back, waving him forward with a grin.

"What? No fair teaming up!" Usopp called, running to catch them. The others glanced around at each other, not sure what had gotten into Kia, but finally shrugged and continued on.

* * *

The distraction didn't last long, and pretty soon Luffy and Usopp were panting loudly and complaining about everything. The heat, being thirsty, the inability to sweat, being hungry… Kia was rapidly getting as annoyed as everyone else. She just kept reminding herself that she was happy Luffy didn't have everyone's packs.

After a couple of hours they saw what looked like rocks, but were certain it was a mirage- for they had seen countless "rocks" before. But after looking through his goggles, Usopp declared that these were real, and Luffy whooped and took off running. Vivi and Kia smiled at each other, and everyone continued to trudge through the sand after him.

It wasn't long before Luffy came running back yelling for Chopper's help with a flock of injured birds. Chopper immediately forgot his own discomfort and grabbing his backpack, went with Luffy to help. Vivi looked stricken, and started chasing after them, and the rest followed in a rush.

"There were birds here, I swear!" Luffy shouted as he ran around looking for them.

"I'm so sorry Luffy, but those birds, were desert bandits," Vivi managed to get out as she leaned over, panting.

"Wait, they were faking?! Just to steal from us?" Hearing the indignation in Usopp's voice made Kia smile at the irony, though she was sure he wouldn't appreciate the thought.

"Well, the good news is they didn't get all of our supplies," Sanji said, looking through his pack. "The bad news is that our __captain__ was carrying most of our water."

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Luffy complained. "They outsmarted me."

"So… you're dumber than a bird?" Sanji asked dryly.

"What'd you say?" Luffy growled, ready to fight.

"All right you two, knock it off," Zoro jumped in. "Everyone's a little heated, but it could have been worse." He walked over to sit in the shade. "We'll figure something out, don't worry." The others followed his example to take a break except for Luffy, who had spotted a bird and ran off after it.

Usopp and Nami yelled after him, but the others just shook their heads. "Don't worry so much," Zoro said to Usopp. "Luffy can take care of himself."

Sanji started passing out lunch rations, and although there wasn't much water, he still gave everyone a little. They sat in relative quiet as they ate and rested. The shade was much better than out in the sun, but it was still very hot. They continued to wait for Luffy after they had finished eating, and Nami started to wonder out loud if he had gotten lost, with Sanji and Zoro making disparaging comments as well.

"I'm sorry."

The crew all looked over at Ace. He had remained quiet through all of this, and it was easy to wonder what he was thinking about them- his brother's crew.

"I know my brother can be a flake, and I'm sorry."

Nami and Vivi waved his apology away, but Kia wanted to assure him a little more. "Sorry? Luffy's great! Sure, sometimes he does dumb stuff, but he makes up for it. And who here doesn't do dumb stuff?" she asked with a smile. Sanji and Zoro gave small smiles as they stood and headed out to look for him.

"I'm glad he has all of you," Ace said.

"Seriously," Nami said quietly, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. "How are these two brothers?"

No one got to reply as the ground began shaking, and a huge cloud of dust shot into the air, and then came right towards them.

"What is that?"

"It's Luffy!"

"Why is he on a camel!?"

"AAAHH! What's that chasing him?"

"I gotta admit, that boy does have a knack for attracting trouble," Ace said with a smile. Kia looked over at him, realizing that the two of them were the only ones still sitting. They both turned as they heard Sanji and Zoro call out to Luffy, and the three of them attacked the huge Sandoran dragon that had been trying to eat Luffy, at the same time. Kia was grinning as it fell, and Vivi, Nami, Chopper and Usopp were standing there, stunned.

"Every time those guys fight… I end up feeling sorry for the monster," Nami said.

"Didn't feel like joining in?" Kia asked jokingly, turning to Ace, only to squeak in surprise. He had moved right next to her, and she had been startled seeing him so close, and in trying to retreat, her hand slipped in the sand and she fell onto him.

"Didn't want to spoil their fun," he replied, his eyebrow up as Kiana's hands were on his chest, and she was trying to sit back up and scoot away from him, her cheeks turning even redder. __I guess that tells me what I needed to know,__ he thought with a smile.

The ground rumbled behind them, and Chopper yelled their names.

"Sorry! I forgot to mention that Sandoran dragons always hunt in pairs!" Vivi shouted.

Usopp shouted back in exasperation, "You've got to start remembering these things sooner!"

Kia looked at the monster behind them, then back at Ace. "Your turn?" she asked him.

He gave her a grin, then looked up at the dragon, seeming almost bored with it. "Wanna play?" he asked, and it roared at him. He answered, "okay, if you want to," then jumped straight up in the air, the dragon's jaws closing around him easily.

Kia could understand why the other four were screaming. These dragons were as big as houses, and could easily eat them all in one gulp. But one thing about logia devil fruit users that they forgot, they were literally made of their respective element. That dragon had just swallowed a fire ball, and didn't even know it.

They watched as flames literally shot out of the dragon's face. It's nose, mouth, even its eyes… __eww,__ Kia thought as she gave a disgusted face. Its body became a tower of flame, with flames soaring out from the top, solidifying again into Ace, and landing back almost where he had been standing previously. The cooked dragon fell over, dead.

They stayed in the shade for awhile longer, waiting as Luffy ate as much as he could, and Sanji took some of the already cooked dragon- jerky to add to their food supply.

"Uh, Luffy?" Zoro asked suddenly, and Luffy looked up. "What's the deal with the camel?"

"I dunno. I saved it from a mystery plant that was trying to eat it, and then the monster showed up, and we came here."

"He doesn't look wild," Nami added. "He's wearing a saddle and bridle."

"Hey, it is you!" Chopper said excitedly. He turned back to his friends. "He helped me get back to Sanji when I escaped from Katorea." Kia grinned as Chopper's voice changed as he interpreted the camel's grumbles for them.

"I thank you for your help, and I'd be happy to give some of you a ride, but I'm afraid I don't take male passengers, I'm just too macho." Kia could have sworn she saw the camel wink in Nami's direction, and in trying not to laugh, she let out a loud snort.

She could hear Ace laugh, even as the other guys were yelling at and even punching or kicking the camel, though not hard enough to really hurt it. Nami looked thrilled, and Vivi was doing a much better job of keeping her laughter in, but Kia was laughing so hard it was making her stomach hurt.

"Kee-ah!" Luffy said in a whine. "It's not funny! I want to ride the camel too."

The boys stormed away from the source of their newest frustration, and Nami swooped in, petting the camel's face and determining that she would call him Eyelash. Vivi and Kia argued over who should ride with her, in that both of them wanted to stay on the ground. Vivi finally relented, once Kia promised that she would tell Vivi when she needed a break, and Ace moved in behind her and said he would tell Vivi even if Kiana didn't.

Kia stiffened, hearing his voice right near her ear, and whirled around, accidentally touching him again. She pulled her palms back as he if burned her, and started babbling about feeling fine, and not needing him to worry about her. He just listened, then gave her a grin, and stepped forward again.

"Vivi, maybe I should ride after all," Kia said, moving back toward the camel, unable to look at Ace. Nami laughed, then yelled, "Giddy-up Eyelash!" and they took off at a run. "Better hurry guys! If you get separated you'll die in the desert!"

Kia watched in shock as they ran off, and the guys all ran around grabbing their packs, Zoro giving orders, Sanji swooning over Nami's "cruel side" and Ace yelling "After them!" giving her a push. They all started running after the camel and its riders, and somehow they all yelled in unison without trying.

"WAIT FOR US!"


	26. Chapter 26: The Fake Rebels

Kia had no idea how long she had been walking, and at this point, all she could do was trudge after the person in front of her. Her energy was spent, and she couldn't even lift her head. She kept an eye on the boots of the person in front of her, silently following. It seemed she wasn't the only one either, as Luffy and Usopp had finally stopped complaining. They just walked on in silence, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

The pair of boots in front of her stopped, so she did too, swaying back and forth a bit, ready to drop.

"Luffy. Do you… see Nami anywhere?"

Kia heard someone ask, so she raised her head, and came face to face with Ace. He looked at her, then behind her, and then looked left and right. "What the-?" he yelped.

"Ugh" she sighed. "What is it?"

"Where is everyone?"

"What?" she asked, confused.

He looked at her as if she was speaking another language. "Where. Are. The. Others?" he asked slowly.

That gave her a jolt of energy, and she looked around herself. "I thought we were all in a line, I was just following the person in front of me!" she said, looking down. She pointed accusingly at his boots. "You!" she cried. "I was following you! Who were you following?"

"Uh… " He looked sheepish, and she could easily see that he had wandered off from the others.

"Ay-ace!" she whined, throwing her head in her hands. She took a few deep breaths, then pinching the bridge of her nose, looked back where they had come from. "Okay, so then we need to decide if we are going to backtrack, or keep going and try to meet up with them in Yuba."

Ace glanced back at their tracks as well, then forward in the direction they had been walking. "I'd prefer to keep moving forward, but if you'd rather go back, I'll go with you," he said to her.

Kia thought about it for a minute before finally coming to a conclusion. "Let's keep going then," she replied. "More than likely the wind will obscure their tracks and we'll be wandering anyway."

They continued walking, side by side this time, though she let Ace determine their direction. She pushed them faster as she had gotten her second wind, and wasn't sure how long it would last. After only a few minutes of walking, Ace stopped and looked around.

"Strange…"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just thought I heard something."

"All right," she said with a shrug and kept walking. Right at that moment, the sand in front of them became like a mountain, as a large shape rose, sand falling down all around it, and revealed a gigantic scorpion, whose tail came above its head to point right at her. Kia let out a yelp, as Ace grabbed her to pull her back behind him.

"You're asking for it," he said, his voice sounding weary instead of worried. She peeked her face out from his back, and he turned slightly to speak to her, but was still looking at the monstrous creature. "Kiana, you should step back."

She did as he said, and retreated several steps away, watching in awe as he became a man of fire. It took only moments before the scorpion fell on its belly, it's exoskeleton once looking like the sand around us, now a bright pink color, with steam rising up from it.

Ace landed a dozen steps in front of her, and turning, called out, "let's keep going!" so she hustled away from the dead body to catch up. As he turned back around he found a lizard as big as he was, standing on its hind legs right in front of him. As he stepped to the right, the lizard copied him, as if they were each others' mirror. Ace stepped back to left, then right again, each time the lizard moving with him. Ace tried to confuse it by taking a double step left, only to have his "mirror image" do the same.

The strange part, was that the lizard didn't even look like it was looking at Ace, and Kia started giggling. It was like a gag that they had planned, it was so perfectly done. As she came nearer, she could see that Ace was getting frustrated, so she called out, "it's not a good idea to get in his way! Just look at the last one who did!" pointing to the still steaming carcass of the scorpion. She wouldn't have thought the lizard could see it, but it turned its head, and then looked like it wanted to cry, but still hadn't moved.

"I'll make you a deal," Ace said. "Give us a ride to the nearest town, and I'll forget this ever happened."

"Wow, Ace, that's mean," she commented.

"What? How?" He asked, looking perplexed.

"You basically are threatening it into giving us a ride."

She could only describe his look as, "are you serious right now?"

Kia stepped around him, and asked sweetly, "Mr. Lizard? Would it be possible for you to give us a ride? We're a little lost."

The lizard looked between them, then giving some sort of shrug, it lowered down to all four legs. They looked at each other, and shrugging themselves, climbed on top its back.

Ace gave her a sideways look. "So… do you really think asking it made such a difference?"

Kia started laughing, and Ace grinned. "Nope. It looks like it didn't really care one way or the other."

"Maybe we should call out for the others. I'd hate to pass close by and miss them," he said.

She nodded and turned her head, "Nami! Vivi!" she shouted.

"Luffy! Where are you?!"

They called out, about every ten minutes or so, but never heard anything in return. After a couple of hours, they came upon a city, seeing it's huge walls from far away.

"Woo-hoo!" Ace called. "A city! I can't wait to eat!" The lizard must have picked up on his excitement, or maybe it was scared, but either way, it suddenly picked up speed, and Kia held on to Ace as they rode, getting tossed back and forth as the lizard ran.

The lizard ran right in the gate, and heading up into a building. Kia had no idea if Ace was leading it, or if it just smelled food… it was so bizarre. It ran straight up the stairs, and right into the room where a huge table was spread with food. Ace climbed off, and then lifted her off the lizard, and headed straight for the table. She watched as the lizard stood back up on its hind legs and just… stood there.

Looking back at Ace, he was already seated at the table, with a plate full in front of him. He had shed his outerwear, and taken off his hat, so it hung from his neck behind him. And, he was stuffing his face, very quickly.

She gave a small wince, wondering how he could swallow such huge mouthfuls so quickly, but decided not to think about it too much. She walked over and sat to his right, fixing herself a plate, and gesturing with her head towards the four men who were arguing with each other. This was obviously their table. Ace just gave her a wink, so she shrugged, deciding not to worry. He could handle pretty much anything in this desert that came along, creature or human.

They ate quietly, listening as the man in charge explained that they couldn't face pirates, and they needed to leave in order to stay alive. They could always find another village that would fall for their ruse. Kia saw Ace's eyes narrow, just as the men spotted the lizard standing in their way.

"You lot make me so sick, I'm about to lose my lunch," Ace said, talking with his mouth full.

She smirked, and gave Ace a look as he continued to eat heartily. He smirked back at her, then turned to glare at the men.

"It's pretty despicable, what you're doing," she added, wanting to feel apart of things. "Not that it's any of our business."

The tallest man glared at them, pushing up his sleeves in a sort of threat. "It IS none of your business!"

"Yeah! You dirty food thieves!" the shortest man added, and the men minus the leader moved to fight Ace.

Kia only had time to think, _oh my…_ as Ace took them down in three hits, then sat back down and continued eating. He seemed to enjoy the look on her face, and she quickly shut her gaping mouth and looked away, trying to keep from blushing. __The man has muscles for days…. and fighting shirtless, no matter how long it lasted, was quite a show.__

Their leader looked between Ace and his beaten friends several times, before kneeling down next to Ace and begging for his help.

"Please, we stand no chance against sand pirates, unless we had the help of someone strong, like you! You must rescue us, please!"

"Meh." Ace didn't even glance at the man, and Kia was slightly taken aback, as it seemed so out of character. "I'm not against the idea, but there are conditions."

 _ _I should have known,__ she thought.

"Anything you want!"

Kia finished eating as the man packed up several bags of food and got a barrel of water, and placing it all on a sled for Ace. Afterwards, Ace tried to get the lizard to return to all fours, but it just ignored each attempt. He suggested that Kiana simply ride the sled, but she refused. Sand would literally get everywhere, and she didn't want to ride in a sack to stay sand- free.

"Go ahead, I'll wait here," she told Ace, though he looked at her skeptically. "I'm sure if you find them, they'll need to restock on supplies, so you'll come back anyway."

"What do you think all this is?" He asked, gesturing to the sled filled with food.

Kia laughed. "Luffy will probably eat all that in one go, and then ask for more," she replied, which had Ace grinning.

"I can't argue with that," he said as he pulled his cover up back on. "You sure about this?" He asked, looking at the "rebel army"- the four men that he was saving.

"Yep, I'm fine. I'm sure these men wouldn't let anything happen to a friend of yours…"

"No sir!" they all called, "she's safe with us!"

"Okay then," Ace said, and the lizard took off, with Ace riding up on its shoulders.

She waved goodbye even though he didn't turn back, and then looked back at the four men. "Well guys?" she asked. "Do you have any dessert?"

* * *

"Hey! Luffy!"

"Ace! Ha ha ha! Where have you been?"

Ace jumped down from the lizard's shoulders and pointed to the cargo in his sled. "You guys want food and water? I've brought plenty of both, dig in!"

"That's awfully nice of you," Sanji commented as he walked over to inspect the supplies.

"Ace is incredible," Usopp said.

"I know! He's kind and thoughtful!" Nami replied, then scowled. "Not like someone else we know."

"That's for sure," Usopp muttered.

Chopper made his way to Ace, and pulled on his cover up. "Uh, Ace?"

Ace glanced down. "Yes Chopper?

"We were hoping Kia was with you… you both disappeared at the same time… " he trailed off, tears forming in his eyes, and Ace found himself keeping a straight face so as not to smile at how cute he looked.

"She was with me, yes. She didn't want to ride on the sled, so she stayed at the city with the rebels."

All the others' eyes went wide. "Rebels?!" they yelled at Ace, completely shocked.

"I guess I shouldn't say rebels…" Ace mused, not reacting to their shouts. "More like fake rebel soldiers. The men pose as rebel soldiers to get hired by the village. And they are so grateful to have protection, they give them anything they could possibly need."

"Wait," Vivi said, as she realized what Ace was saying. "These men are only pretending to protect the town?"

"Well…" Ace drawled, trying to brush over what they were doing, knowing that the crew didn't have time to help the town protect themselves. Their current mode of protection was working after all. "I knew you all wanted to keep moving, and it seems to be working for everyone…."

"You want us to go in and take care of them, Vivi?" Sanji asked calmly.

"Well, they shouldn't be impersonating rebel soldiers, however…"

"If you're going to trick them," Ace commented, "might I point out that that is what the other men are doing? At least with the way things are, they are all living in peace with each other."

"Don't stick up for them!" Sanji sneered with a glare at Ace.

"I'm not, I'm just sharing my thoughts. Vivi can do whatever she wants."

"It's obvious that we can't protect them, but I can't just leave without knowing if the fake rebels will protect them when it matters."

Sanji's eyebrow rose. "You want us to see if they have hearts of gold?"

Vivi nodded. "Yes, a test."

Everyone nodded, and gathered their belongings, packing up the supplies that Ace had brought. Chopper, feeling stronger after drinking the water, walked as well. "But," he asked, "how are we going to get Kia back?"

"Don't worry Chopper," Zoro replied. "She probably misses us so much, she'll run out to meet us."

"Really?!"

"Now things are finally getting interesting!" Luffy exclaimed. "We'll find those fake rebels, and beat them up, and rescue Kia!"

"No Luffy!" Nami yelled, hitting him on the back of the head. "That's not what we're doing at all!"

* * *

Over the next hour Kia watched as the four "rebels" went from hopeful to despairing, and at first she tried to keep their spirits high, but eventually she just went quiet while they argued with each other. She must have fallen asleep, because her eyes flew open as she was shaken roughly.

"Wassit?" she slurred as she jerked awake.

Their leader, whose name was Camu, was standing over her, looking visibly upset. "We're not waiting any longer. You can stay here if you want, but we're leaving."

She glanced at the other three. They weren't carrying much, but were obviously ready to leave. She gave a big yawn, and stretched her arms over her head, then stood up. "Okay, I'll come too."

"What!?" the other three shouted.

"What're you saying? Why would you want to come with us?" Camu asked incredulously.

"Huh?" she eloquently replied. "I'm not going with you. I just don't want to be here when the citizens find out you left. They'll ask all sorts of awkward questions…"

Camu gave a deadpan face, and muttered, "yeah, whatever."

She walked out with them, acting as if she belonged. The townspeople gave no notice, seeming too excited to see their gallant protectors in action against the dreaded pirates. As they walked towards the front gates, she could hear the others questioning Camu, and calling him "Big bro" which reminded her of Yosaku and Johnny, and had her wishing she could have met them, they seemed fun.

The townspeople cheered as they made it to the gates, and Kia butted into the huddle of the rebels she was with, hearing their ingenious plan to run away from the pirates as soon as they made it through the gates. Camu gave a count of three, and pushed the gate open, and straight ahead, Kia saw Luffy, his head slightly down, so that she couldn't see his eyes.

They turned to their right, but stopped immediately upon seeing Sanji and Usopp, and she almost laughed at the scary look Usopp was trying to pull off. Turning to their left met with a similar problem, with Zoro and Chopper blocking the way, with Chopper in his large human form, or heavy point.

The townspeople continued to cheer them on, and Kia chuckled at the looks on the rebels faces; they all looked like they were marching to their deaths, and she was sure they really thought they were.

Luffy continued to egg them on, and they suddenly heard, "Hey boys, sorry, but you'll have to try to muscle through this fight on your own."

They looked around but didn't think to look behind them where Ace was standing. Kia glanced over her shoulder to see him leaning against the wall, a big smirk plastered on his face.

"C'mon Ace, you know we can't handle this by ourselves…" Camu said just loud enough for Ace to hear. "We're totally faking it!"

"You're pretending to be soldiers. If you can't do that, might I suggest you act like men."

"Come on guys," she added softly. "Fake it till you make it, as we say back home."

She could see the wheels turning, and then Camu turned back to Luffy and shouted, "Bring it on! But be warned, we aren't the only rebel soldiers here, there are … ONE HUNDRED MILLION MORE LIKE US!"

It was apparent from their expressions that no one believed him, but then Luffy shouted back, "A… HUNDRED….MILLION?!"

Usopp quickly squashed it as a lie, which had both Luffy and Chopper sighing in relief, and had Kia snickering.

Luffy was upset at being tricked, and he reared back to land a punch. It happened more quickly than she could think, and Kia tried to move out of the way. Something grabbed her arm, and she could feel the air whoosh past her as Camu was rocketed back into the town, just barely missing taking her with him. She was pulled into a turn and found herself with her back against the wall in the archway of the gate, with Ace pushed up against her, keeping her out of harm's way.

"Kiana? Are you all right?" A low, husky voice asked.

Kia looked up, right into Ace's dark eyes, noticing his hat had fallen off, and his hair was hanging down slightly into his face. She swallowed nervously, unable to speak even if she had thought of something to say, and the two just stared at each other.

Hearing Luffy laugh broke whatever was happening between them, as Kia turned her head to look outside the gate. Luffy was on the ground laughing, and she could hear shouts from the other Straw Hats about retreating, and the stupid rebel soldiers ruining their fun.

Before she could get her wits about her, Ace pulled her forward as he took off running. They went a different direction out of town to avoid the people, but soon found themselves outside and on a course to intercept the others. As they met up with them, Kia yelled, "Can…we…stop…run…ing…now?" panting from the effort.

"Kia!" Luffy yelled as he reached out for her, trying to stop as he did, which tripped both Ace and Usopp, all of them sprawling on the ground. Eyelash and Zoro, each carrying passengers- because Chopper was riding on Zoro's shoulders in his smaller form- both jumped over the mess, and Sanji stopped just before he would trip as well. Kia skidded to a stop and rested her hands on her knees trying to get her breath back.

"Kia my dear!" Sanji cooed and rushed forward to give her a hug, but he was thwarted as Chopper had beaten him there, pulling her down to hug her around her neck. Sanji's momentum had him falling over the top of them, and landing face first in the sand, which seemed to please Zoro immensely.

"Kia! I missed you! Did you miss us? Zoro said you would come running out to us, but you didn't." Chopper's face ended in a sad frown, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I did! I missed you so much! And I almost ran out, but I didn't want to interrupt your acting!"

"I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?" Usopp congratulated himself.

"Hey, me too, huh Kia?" Luffy asked with a grin.

"Yes Captain, you were all great," she said. "Zoro especially was able to look so natural standing there with a mean look…"

"Yeah yeah," Zoro muttered as everyone else laughed.

"Now that we're all back together, let's….go!" Luffy yelled as he threw his arms up.


	27. Chapter 27: Mmm Desert Lobster!

The group continued on to Yuba, stopping periodically. Kia found it as no surprise that while everyone had been smart in conserving water, Luffy had eaten most of the food supplies. Sanji, naturally, had stashed food away in his own pack, and had protected it from Luffy's grasp. However splitting it between all of them, meant small meals which could never satisfy their captain.

Vivi spent most of the time telling stories of when she was younger, how she had met Koza, and the rest of her friends in the sand-sand clan. They all filed behind the camel, listening as well, when something popped out of the sand near Luffy.

"Hey, what is that?" Luffy asked, running over to it. "It looks like a tail!" He picked up a nearby stick and started poking it.

"That can't be good.. " Usopp murmured. Sure enough, moments later, the sand moved again to show Luffy standing on top of a huge scorpion. Usopp immediately began screaming and running in circles. Ace stepped in front of her, with a terse, "Stay back Kiana."

She shrugged, "I'm not going to fight it, the boys have it under control."

Ace looked over as Chopper transformed into heavy point, and he, Sanji and Zoro ran over to help Luffy defeat the scorpion. Ace stood there grinning as they watched them kill it.

"Sanji! Can we eat it?" Luffy asked, drooling. "I'm starving!"

"I think so," Sanji replied. "It's looks somewhat like a lobster…"

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered.

"Hey you guys," Kia called. "Stand back and let Ace cook it. It'll be faster!" Ace gave her a look and a shrug, and walked over to the dead scorpion. Without any sort of effort, he cooked the scorpion in its shell, then walked back.

"Thanks Ace!" Luffy called. "Zoro! Slice it up!"

"No Luffy," Sanji said. "You eat lobster by cracking open the shell."

"Awesome!" he replied and grabbing the scorpion, started pulling off its shell and eating the meat inside. The other guys quickly joined in, though not so messily. Ace grabbed a claw, and brought it back to Kia, cracking it open to offer her some.

She glanced down, uncertain, but wanted to be able to say she had at least tried it. Tearing free a small piece of meat, she put it in her mouth, and chewed.

"Ugh, that most definitely does not taste like chicken," she said, but finished what she had taken. She refused any more, and Ace shrugged and finished it quickly.

"Of course it's not chicken, Kia! It's desert lobster!" Luffy yelled out.

"Well you can have my share, Captain!" she called back.

"Woo-hoo! Thanks Kia!"

"Luffy, take it easy!" Sanji yelled. "We need to take some to Nami and Vivi!" He ripped the final claw out of Luffy's hand, and ran over to the other girls. Luffy fell forward, resting on the shell, now that the meal was finished.

"Nami! Vivi! I saved you the best part!" Sanji held out his offering, and both girls screamed.

"You guys are a bunch of inconsiderate jerks!" Nami yelled to the rest of the group. "Come on Eyelash!" and with a whip of the reigns, they took off.

"Nami is gorgeous even when she yells at me," Sanji said wistfully as he returned.

"Whoa," Luffy said, sitting up. "Why is she so angry?"

The other guys looked so confused that Kia started laughing, and laughed harder when Ace looked at her with the same expression.

"I dunno," the other boys answered Luffy, and he looked at Kia in question, prompting the others to look to her as well.

"Women are the great mystery of the universe," Kia said with a snicker. When their expressions didn't change, she thought of something simpler.

"Uh, Nami and Vivi… don't like desert lobster."

"Oh!" Luffy said and the others all nodded at her wisdom. Then they stood up and the group trailed after Nami and Vivi.

They continued throughout the evening before camping among a tall group of rocks. They slept in peace, and awoke in good spirits. Sanji made breakfast, showing Nami, Vivi and Kia a flat rock to sit on. Ace gathered his breakfast, and jumped up the top of a tall rock to sit alone. He took off his robe again, sitting shirtless in the shade. Nami elbowed Kia in the side, and gave her a wink as she gestured up to where he was sitting. Kia quickly shook her head, her cheeks going pink. Vivi giggled, and Kia shushed her as Sanji brought their breakfast over.

"Vivi my dear, Nami my love, Kia my heart," Sanji said to each of the girls as he handed out their food.

"Thank you Sanji," they said in unison.

"My pleasure!" he cooed. Turning to the fire, he made a portion for each of the boys, yelling at Luffy to sit down and eat. Usopp and Luffy ate quickly- Luffy because that was just how he eats, and Usopp, in order to avoid having his food stolen.

"Is that all?" Usopp complained.

"Yeah! Seconds! Seconds!" Luffy chanted, banging his spoon on his plate.

"Don't be greedy!" Sanji yelled back.

"C'mon Sanji! I'm still hungry," Usopp whined, while Luffy reached over to steal some from Zoro's plate.

"Hey! Luffy!" Zoro yelled, standing up to fight.

The three girls sighed as they watched the boys fighting. "Why do they act like this at every meal?" Vivi asked.

"Just don't make eye contact," Nami groused.

"It's like they enjoy fighting with each other…" Kia sighed.

"Look at Ace," Nami said, with another wink at her friend. "He is so calm and orderly, he cleans his fork and plate after every meal. He gives me hope for his gender after all."

"Yeah,"Kia answered on a sigh, then realizing they were smiling at her, she straightened up. "I mean, he really doesn't seem like the powerful pirate type, does he?"

"No," Nami answered. "But pirates the world over fear the name Fire-fist Ace, of the Whitebeard pirates."

"If Ace is imposing enough to scare his peers, then this Blackbeard he's chasing must be just as terrifying," Vivi said.

"He is," Kia said. "If Ace isn't careful, he'll not only get his fight with Blackbeard, he'll lose it. Blackbeard has his whole crew with him. They destroyed Drum kingdom after all, just the five of them."

"Oh, Kia, I'm so sorry to have brought it up, I completely forgot." Vivi looked stricken, and Kia waved it away.

"It's okay Vivi, I know you didn't mean anything by it." She looked back up at Ace, who was deep in thought. "Ace lost a friend to Blackbeard, there's nothing we could say or do to stop him from chasing Blackbeard down."

They continued eating quietly, and Kia's thoughts returned to Ace. He was exactly as she always pictured. Cute, funny, thoughtful… and yet he was so much more. She had been so sure he was going to kiss her under that gateway in the last town, and here she was, still dwelling on the disappointment. She shook her head, trying to clear it. This was definitely not the time to start pining after a guy, especially one she had no future with. Ace was focused on his own goals, and that didn't include a girl. _Just forget it,_ she told herself.

After eating, Nami took matters into her own hands and stopped the boys' fight with her fists. She quickly organized them to complete the packing so they could head out. Ace jumped down, ready to go, just as Luffy started yelling about floating meat.

Kia followed after Luffy, and Nami and Usopp followed after Ace, as he went around to surprise their guests who had stolen their food with a fishing pole. Kia could hear them speaking and she put her finger to her lips in a gesture of quiet to Luffy. She climbed up the rock, and looked down, seeing two young boys finishing the meat they had taken from them. They looked dirty and hungry, and she immediately felt sorry for them.

"It smells good, are you enjoying it?"

She looked up at the boys did, seeing Ace with a serious expression on his face. __Was he trying to intimidate the kids?__

"Stay back!" The older boy said, as he protected the younger one. Ace continued to look down at them, and the older boy pulled out a gun that was practically bigger than he could hold. "You move a muscle and you're dead!"

"Um, Dip, do you know how to shoot a gun?" the younger boy whispered.

"No… but I have to," Dip whispered back.

Then Ace smirked and gave a laugh that sounded anything but genuine. "As a general rule, I'm not fond of people pointing guns in my face."

Dip trembled as he pulled back the trigger, falling over when the gun went off. Ace threw a small rock, hitting the bullet as it flew his direction, and Kia felt her mouth drop open, again.

"Never draw a gun unless you can hit your mark, kid."

"Holy crap, he hit the bullet back with a rock!" Dip cried.

"Please don't hurt us!" the younger boy shouted, holding tightly to Dip.

"Luffy, we should help them," Kia said quietly. When she didn't get a response, she looked around to find that Luffy was gone. She shook her head and jumped down in front of the boys.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you," she said softly to them. Then turned around and gave Ace a dirty look. "Why are you acting like a jerk?!" she demanded.

"What? Me? They pointed a gun at me!" He retorted.

"Because you snuck up on them!"

"I didn't sneak, they just didn't hear me!"

"Yeah, right! They're kids, Ace, not big bad pirates! You scared them!"

"Uh, what's going on?" Usopp asked as he and Nami came up behind Ace.

"Ace was going to apologize to Dip and… " she trailed off looking behind her in question.

"I'm Chip," the younger boy said shyly. "Thank you for helping us."

"No problem!" she said with a grin, then turned back to Ace giving him a pointed look. He crossed his arms in defiance, obviously not going to apologize. Kia turned back to the boys, crouching down to look at them face to face. "I'm sorry about my friend, he's not a bad guy," she dropped her voice to whisper, " _ _but he has to look tough to keep his scary reputation."__

Dip looked shocked, and leaned to the side to look at Ace from around her, while Chip giggled.

"Hey! What did you just say to them?" Ace demanded.

"Nooothing!" she sang back, giving the boys a wink. Chip smiled back, and Dip darted around her to run up to Ace.

"Please sir, I need you to find this man!" he said desperately, holding out a photo. "I'll pay you anything… I'll pay you… a million berries!"

"A million berries?" Nami asked, unconvinced.

"I can't pay you now, but I will when I grow up," Dip looked back up at Ace. "I promise!"

"Who is he?" Kia asked Chip quietly.

"Our father…" Chip replied hesitantly. "He left to find his dream, but I just want him back."

"I'm sure we'll find him, or he'll find us," she said, ruffling his hair. "Don't worry."

Kia had hardly finished speaking, when two men on an ostrich came riding in, yelling for Ace. The first man was the boys' father, going by the name Scorpion, and trying to capture Ace to fulfill his dream of being a bounty hunter. The second, was Luffy. Kia had no idea how he found himself with Scorpion, but he seemed to enjoy the idea of the older man fighting with Ace.

Ace on the other hand, surprised her. He didn't question Scorpion's intent, or mock his obvious disadvantages. In fact, he seemed to respect him for trying his best, even when he couldn't win. Ace didn't hold back, but he didn't aim to hurt the man either. He just did what he needed to in order to win, while letting the Scorpion keep his dignity.

After their story came out, and the boys discovered that their dad just wanted to teach them to never give up on their own dreams, they left for home and the crew said goodbye to Scorpion, Dip and Chip. After leaving, Ace then told Luffy he wouldn't find information about Blackbeard there in Alabasta, and he would be leaving also.

Ace gathered his things, and came forward with a piece of paper in his hands. He held it out to Luffy with a "here, Luffy".

Luffy looked at each side, "it's just a piece of paper?" he said, as if expecting something better.

"That paper will reunite us one day," Ace replied.

Kia gave a small smile, wondering if anything would have been different if Luffy had been given a better explanation than that. Then Ace reached forward, and snatched the paper from Luffy's hand. "You don't want it?" he asked, teasingly.

"No, I do," Luffy responded, reaching for it.

Ace grabbed it with both hands, and tore it down the middle. He handed one half to Luffy, and walking over, stood in front of Kia, offering the other half. She looked down at it in shock, unsure of what was happening.

"Uh, can't hurt to have an extra, right?" Ace muttered, reaching forward for her hand, and placing the vivre card in her palm, closing her fingers around it. She could hear the others looking at Luffy's half, and Nami offering to sew it onto the ribbon of his hat for safe keeping, but she just continued to look at Ace, trying to understand his motivations for doing this. __He's probably worried about Luffy losing it,__ she thought.

She didn't have the courage to ask, but she could feel her face heating as she thought of the possibility that he might want to reunite with her as well, then she shook her head denying the thought. Looking down at her hand, she turned the paper each direction, examining each side. She held it flat in her palm, watching as it moved on its own to the side of her hand. "Thank you," she finally said, lifting her head back up, and finding nothing. She looked down again at the moving paper, just in time for someone to ask, "Where's Ace?"

Luffy called out as he started walking, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see him again! Now come on, we've got to get to Yuba!"

They started walking again, and Kia looked at the vivre card, wondering where she could stash it for safe keeping. Tucking it in her bra seemed the safest, but somewhat creepy. For now, she tucked it into her pocket.

"Hmm, so that paper will reunite you one day?" Nami said slyly, as she and Vivi, riding on Eyelash fell back beside Kia. She looked up, realizing the boys were in the lead, and the girls were bringing up the rear. Nami was keeping Eyelash from moving too fast, so that they could have some measure of privacy.

"Nah, he must have figured Luffy could lose the other one," Kia answered.

"It's hard to believe something so simple could actually reunite people," Vivi said.

"It's special paper," she replied.

"You know what it is?" Nami asked in surprise, and Vivi's eyebrows rose as well.

"I think so," Kia answered. "Though I have never seen one before." She walked a little faster, not wanting to get into it now. "Ask me later, okay?" she said, then called out for Chopper to wait for her. She needed to not think about all of this right now, as the other girls were far too good at seeing through her.

* * *

A few more hours of walking, and the crew made it to Yuba. They were quiet as Vivi cried out, frustrated and desperately trying to hold it all together, looking around at the wasteland that couldn't possibly be housing the rebel army. They kept silent as she and Toto were reunited, looking around and trying to imagine the city as Toto described it… as it used to be.

They had their pick of places to sleep, and ended up staying in an inn that had a large room with several single beds as well as a few bunk-beds.

Usopp was quick to say goodnight, citing his exhaustion, immediately snoring loud and fake, which had Zoro's irritation spiking since he had been forced to carry Usopp on the last part of the walk to Yuba. He yelled to Usopp about being more rested than everyone since he didn't walk as much, which had Usopp jumping up in defense. Unable to refute Zoro's words, he quickly pulled Chopper into the argument, since he compared better to Chopper than to Zoro.

Chopper, indignant at Usopp's words, changed to his heavy point form, immediately scaring Usopp, and his words lost in Usopp's scream. Zoro, tired of the noise, started throwing pillows. Kia started giggling, and the laughter grew as she turned to Vivi, seeing her blushing, and trying to explain to Sanji that he had gotten in her bed by mistake.

"Pervert Cook!" someone yelled out.

Sanji turned upon hearing that, and got a pillow right to his face. "Someone's going to die for that," he muttered, grabbing a pillow and jumping into the fray. Soon, no one was safe, even Kia- though she just continued to gasp with laughter even when she was hit. After all the stress of the past few days, it was just the outlet they all needed.

Once things calmed down, and they were all in bed, Vivi and Kia looked ruefully at each other. They could hear the snores around them, as each of their friends quickly dropped into sleep.

"They never do anything halfway, do they?" Kia said with a grin.

"No, it would seem not. Though… I wonder where Luffy is? Even he needs to rest."

"He wanted to stay out with Toto," she answered as she got herself comfortable. Silently, she said goodnight to her sisters, wherever they were. She tacked another one to the end, though this time, she said it aloud. "Goodnight, Vivi."

"Goodnight, Kia." Kia could hear the smile in her voice, and was glad that at least for a moment, she had some relief from the grief and pain she was constantly dealing with.


	28. Chapter 28: We Quit!

Kia was shaken awake the next morning, though it felt as if she had only just closed her eyes. Chopper was much too happy for how early it was, but that was due to it not being unbearably hot yet. Kia thought she must have looked pretty terrible, because Chopper changed into his heavy point and offered his back to her.

"Chopper? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just jump on Kia, I know you didn't get much sleep." It was true, ever since arriving, she would often wake herself up in the middle of the night, due to nightmares, and was unable to get back to sleep. On the ship, she told the others she just couldn't sleep and would simply take a nap if needed, but out here, she didn't have the chance.

"Okay Chopper, but I'm awake," she said as she jumped up on his back, with her arms around his neck and snuggled in. "but… I'm not quite warm enough yet." Chopper giggled as he took them both outside.

"Thanks old man, we're leaving now."

Kia looked up to see Vivi and Luffy in front of Toto, with Toto giving a bow to Vivi and asking her forgiveness for the state of the oasis.

"It isn't much, but here Luffy," Toto said, handing him a small barrel with a rope attached. "After your help yesterday, I hit damp sand, and was able to extract some water."

"Wow! It's water?!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Genuine Yuba water, so it's the best!" Toto puffed up slightly in pride, before deflating again. "I'm just sorry there isn't more."

"Thank you." Luffy gave Toto a bow. "I'll drink it real slow." Luffy turned and began to walk, Usopp following after him, asking for a drink.

The crew all followed after him, but Vivi turned back, giving Toto a wave and a hope filled smile, which was returned in spades.

As they left Yuba, and headed back the way they came, no one said anything. Kia was waiting for Luffy to decide to change the course they were walking, but that hadn't happened yet either. The story she knew wasn't clear as to how long they walked before deciding to go after Crocodile instead, but she knew the longer they walked now, the worse shape they would be in once they reached Rainbase. If she could prevent that…

They walked for about a half hour more, before Kia finally made up her mind to say something. She had gone back and forth in her mind, not wanting to steal the moment from Luffy, but finally decided that she didn't have to say what he did, just bring up the possibilities.

However, she also decided that stopping the way he did was too perfect to not imitate.

Kia saw a tree coming into view in front of them, and made up her mind. No turning back now. As they walked by the tree, she hopped down from Chopper, went over to it, and sat down.

"Kia?" Chopper asked in question to her actions.

THUMP!

Her shoulder moved, as another body crashed down beside her, jostling her. She looked over at Luffy, seeing the determination on his face, and gave him a small smile. "You quitting too?" she asked him quietly.

"Hmm," he replied thinking about it. "Yep!"

"Luffy? Kia? What's going on?" Usopp called back loudly. He had assumed the two would be walking again since the others didn't stop. Kia watched as they all looked back in confusion.

Vivi, being concerned, came back and asked "Luffy? Kia? Are you okay?" When they both nodded she added, "What's going on?"

Luffy glanced at Kia and said, "We quit."

"What?" Vivi asked, the disappointment and desperation written all over her face.

By this time, the others had all walked back, but were not saying anything. If it had just been Luffy, Kia was sure they would have plenty to say, but with her sitting there also, they were trying to see what they were missing.

"Kia?" Chopper asked.

"Yes?" she replied with a small smile.

"You're… you're quitting? Here?" he asked tentatively.

"Yep!" she said, and rested her head on Luffy's shoulder. It was surprisingly soft, though he was so slender. He was made of rubber after all. He had no clue- that after Chopper- he just became her second choice for a cuddle buddy.

"Kia, my dear…" Sanji began, and she could see how he would scowl whenever he looked at Luffy, but would switch to a smile when he looked back at her. "We can't just quit, we're doing this for Vivi! We have to stop the rebels, or the whole country's going to explode into bloodshed!"

Kia waited a moment for Luffy to reply, but he didn't say anything, so she did. "So is that the plan then? Go all the way back to Katorea?" She looked around at each of her companions, trying to keep her voice gentle. "After everything, how can we know they are still there?"

"We can't," Zoro answered. "But it's the best lead we have. We know they were there, because Chopper and Eyelash saw them there." Kia raised a brow skeptically at his response and he bristled slightly.

"That's true, but we came here, because that was our best lead. I'm tired of being three steps behind." She looked directly at Vivi. "So say we go all the way back, and we actually do see the rebels. Then what?"

"Then, I talk to Koza and tell him the truth, and he'll stop the rebels from fighting."

Kia could admit that at that point, she was getting angry. Vivi hadn't thought of any sort of back up, she just assumed as soon as she turned it over to Koza, he'd fix everything. "And? You're a princess, and you can't get them to stop, so how can he? Sure he leads them, but they want to fight to protect their country! They're not just going to stop because he says, "Now we know it was all a misunderstanding"."

Vivi's face flashed with hurt before it hardened, and her eyes narrowed at Kia. "If you have a better idea, you could have said something long ago when we were planning everything!"

"Going to Katorea is a mistake. If by some miracle we stop the rebels, which I don't think will happen," she paused, as Nami and Chopper both said her name on a gasp. "that won't stop the war in Alabasta." Kia said, crossing her arms, and silently wishing Luffy would butt in, but he just sat there, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed.

"So what?! We just __give up?!__ What a brilliant idea!" Vivi shouted at her, and Kia felt horrible. She stayed quiet, though she gave Luffy a small nudge to let him know it was his turn.

Nami must have had the same idea, because she asked, "Luffy? What do you say to all this?"

Luffy opened his eyes, looking at Vivi and nodding. "If we stop the rebels, that won't stop Crocodile." Vivi looked stricken as she realized the implications of that. "There's nothing we can do in that Katorea place. Besides, we're pirates. We'll probably make things worse there."

Everyone was quiet enough that Kia heard Sanji mutter, "I hate it when the idiot makes the most sense of all of us."

"So what is the answer then?" Vivi asked through gritted teeth. "I don't see any other solution, no matter how I look at it!"

"Because you're looking at it wrong," Kia said firmly.

They all looked at her, and she wanted to shut her mouth, but she pushed through the feeling. "With a million people just itching to fight, and a warlord who is viewed as a hero doing everything he can to incite war, you are looking for a solution where nobody dies, and __there isn't one__."

Vivi was getting very upset now. "What's so wrong about not wanting anyone to die?!" she yelled at them.

"That's naive." Luffy said bluntly. "People die."

Though Kia expected it, it was still a shock when Vivi reared back and punched Luffy in the face. She took all her anger out on him, screaming as he stood up.

"SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO SAVE THEM! THE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT, AND IT'S ALL CROCODILE'S FAULT, SO WHY SHOULD ANY OF MY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE?!"

"SO THEY CAN'T DIE, BUT YOU CAN RISK YOUR LIFE?" Luffy roared back, hitting Vivi on the side of her head, hard enough that she fell over, but she rose again in fury, jumping and tackling him to the ground, and pounding her frustrations into his face. "EVEN I CAN SEE THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF!

"I HAVE TO!" Vivi shouted back, as Luffy grabbed her hands to stop her assault. "I DON'T CARE WHAT IT COSTS ME!"

"THEN RISK OUR LIVES ALONG WITH YOURS! AREN'T WE FRIENDS?"

Though a few of the others had been held back from interfering, now they all stood quietly, watching Vivi as she burst into tears.

"Let us help you, Vivi." Luffy said more quietly. "I know you want to kick Crocodile's butt more than anyone, don't you?" He stood up, wiping off his face. "So let's stop him, together."

* * *

No one was mad at Kia… exactly. But she could feel there was definite tension. She thought back, and couldn't see where she had said anything unforgivable, or even worse than what Luffy said, but she apologized to Vivi anyway. She said she forgave her, but there was still an awkwardness between the two now, that Kia wasn't sure how to repair.

Vivi had shown the others on the map where Rainbase was and while Usopp tried his hardest to get a drink from Luffy's barrel of Yuba water, Zoro had started walking, yelling at them all to hurry up. Several glanced back at him, and kept walking in the right direction. Sanji finally gave in and yelled back that he was going the opposite way, and though he grumbled, he turned to hurry and catch the others.

"Luffy…"

They all looked to Vivi, who had spoken.

"Thank you, I don't know how I can repay you for this," she said.

"Shi shi, that's easy! Feed me!"

"What?"

"Once I kick Crocodile's butt, feed me till I explode, okay?"

Vivi grinned. "It's a deal."

* * *

"We should go left! VIPs go left!"

"But we're pirates, and pirates go right!"

"AAH!"

Though she knew what was coming… falling down a hole will still make someone scream, and Kia had no idea how big of a fall they were in for. So she did what she thought was a smart move, and grabbed onto the side to stop herself from falling in. Little did she know, that Usopp would be holding onto her.

"Don't let go, Kia please… hang on!"

"Usopp, there's no way I can pull us both up," she grunted out, her fingers barely holding on as it was.

"But… uh," there was no good answer to that, and he just gave her a whimper.

"Just make sure you break my fall, okay?" she asked with a grin, turning her head to look at him. He wasn't able to say more then "Huh?" before she let go. She noticed the trap door slammed shut as soon as the weight was off it, and they both screamed as they fell after the others.

"Ooof!" she grunted. It wasn't the worst landing, though it took her breath away for a moment. Two things hit her at once- she wasn't on the ground, and she was in someone's arms. She could see Usopp on the ground with Luffy helping him up, Nami and Zoro both standing beside them, and all four of them were looking at her. __So who?__

Kia looked up, and saw Smoker's double cigars. Part of her may have wanted to scream and flail, but she didn't. She smiled instead. __I actually really liked Smoker in the anime, one of my favorite parts being when a little girl ran into him, and he said his silly pants ate her ice cream.__

Kia cleared her throat, and he looked down, focusing on her. "Uh, thanks for that, but can you put me down now, please?"

He didn't say anything, but tilted and leaned forward to place her feet on the ground, keeping a hand on her back as he straightened to ensure she was steady. She gave him a smile, because, hey… he was being a gentleman.

"Thank you."

She got a grunt in reply, as Smoker sat down on a bench at the back of the cell they were occupying. Kia looked around, noting that they were all looking at her in shock, so she shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal. Luffy turned and went back to the bars, grabbing on and sagging against them.

"Luffy?" Usopp asked. "What's wrong?"

"Ugh… I feel so… weak."

Kia stepped out of the way as Smoker stood again, pulling out his jutte. He wasn't going to actually hurt Luffy, and sometimes experience was a much better teacher than words. He lunged forward and smacked Luffy with the end, toppling him over. Smoker stood over Luffy's prone form, the tip of his jutte resting on Luffy's chest, with Usopp yelling in the background about fighting Smoker.

"Why can't I move?" Luffy panted out. "It's like when I fall in the ocean."

Kia thought enough was enough, and stepped over, pushing the jutte off of Luffy, and helping him up.

"It's sea prism stone," Smoker said, re-sheathing his jutte. "It emits an energy identical to the ocean. Think of it as the ocean in solid form."

"So that's why Luffy's so weak," Zoro commented as he re-sheathed his sword as well, no longer worried about fighting the marine.

"It's how the Marines deal with criminals with devil fruit powers," Kia added. "They make the bars of the cells out of it, and devil fruit users can't escape." She turned to the bars in front of them. "Looks like Crocodile did the same." She reached over and fixed Luffy's crooked hat. "So don't touch the bars anymore, okay?" Luffy nodded.

"If they weren't, I'd be long gone," Smoker said as he went to sit back down. "and you pirates would all be dead."

Kia turned to reply, and heard a lighter flick on, her eyebrow lifting as she took in Crocodile for the first time, as he turned his chair around to face them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Crocodile made a noise, like a parent catching children doing something bad. "You really should try to get along, since you are all going to die together."

"Crocodile," Smoker growled out.

"Aah!" Nami and Usopp looked stricken, as they raised their hands up in surrender. Zoro looked less than impressed, and Luffy's hand became fists as he marched forward to the bars.

He grabbed on and shouted, "You're Crocodile! Fight….me…" The sea prism stones affecting him halfway through and he fell down, weak again.

"Ha ha ha! I never thought you would make it this far, Straw hat Luffy," Crocodile looked the group over, then stood and began walking away. "And now that you have, I'm going to kill you... once the guest of honor gets here." Luffy continued to shout after him, though Crocodile left the room.

"Guest of honor?" Usopp asked Nami, once Crocodile was gone. Nami shrugged, and walked up to the bars, looking around the room for something… anything to get them out.

"Vivi," Kia answered Usopp, as she settled herself on the floor, Zoro already sitting against the wall, snoring softly. Usopp, Luffy and Nami looked at her in question, and she clarified her statement. "He's waiting for Vivi."

The others looked upset, and Nami started pacing through the cell, looking intently around. "Nami, we'll get out of here, so you should rest while you can," Kia suggested.

"How can you be so calm?" she shouted, and the group all jolted. "We're locked in a cell by one of the __seven warlords,__ who said he was going to __kill us!__ And you want me to rest?" Kia tried not to smile, knowing that Nami was seriously freaking out. "And you!" She turned her wrath on Zoro. "How can you be sleeping!?" she accented her last word with a punch to Zoro's head.

"Huh? Is it morning already?" Zoro opened one eye, but noting they were still in the same situation, immediately went back to sleep.

Kia stood, walking over to Nami and putting her arm around her shoulders, pulled her down to sit on the bench. "I'm calm because we're not alone- we still have friends out there, friends who will stop at nothing to get us out."

Nami let out a shuttering breath, calming slowly as Kia's words sank in. "That's… that's true…" she said quietly.

"So for now, just take it easy, okay? Getting stressed out isn't going to help us, we need to think clearly."

"You're right Kia, I'm sorry." Kia smiled, as Nami rested her head on her shoulder momentarily.

"You seem to know a good deal about it all," Smoker commented, and turning, Kia saw him appraising her.

"Well, I'm pretty good at observing the big picture," she said nonchalantly, not wanting to draw the marine's attention. Though… a small part of her was excited at the thought of being a pirate with a bounty. She shook her head slightly, pushing the thought away for another time.

"And the big picture here?" he asked her.

It was her turn to study Smoker, wondering if he really wanted to know, or if he was simply trying to decide how dangerous of a pirate she was. After a moment, she decided to humor him. After all, he was one of the good marines out there.

"From what I can tell? Crocodile is inciting rebellion in Alabasta. He's pitting the country against itself, everyone fighting while trying to save their country, and no one seeing the strings being pulled behind them. I can only guess at why, though I imagine if Vivi isn't successful, he'll swoop in to pick up the pieces, and become the new ruler of Alabasta- and the people will probably be happy about it."

Smoker hardly moved, but Kia could see one of his eyebrows wing up as she spoke. He nodded, and she assumed that was that. After a minute or so, he replied. "The world government assumes their warlords to be on their side, but underneath, they are all pirates- "

"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!" Those in the cage all turned as Crocodile's laughter interrupted Smoker's comment. "You're as much a mad-dog as I've heard, Smoker," Crocodile said as he walked in, back to his chair at the head of a large table. "You never considered me an ally, did you? And, you were right not to, ha ha ha!"

Kia glanced back at Smoker, seeing the disgust on his face.

"CROCODILE!"

"Vivi…" It seemed the crew all breathed out her name together, as they watched her stalk down the stairs towards the warlord.


	29. Chapter 29- Banagators

"Can't you hear them Ms. Wednesday? All of them seeing the destruction around them, all of them drying up and pushing back… all of them fighting to defend their homeland. All of them shouting, __Defend Alabasta… defend Alabasta!__ Ha ha ha ha!"

Those in the cell watched as Vivi struggled against the bonds keeping her in a chair. Everyone looked angry, but Luffy was furious, punching the bars, getting weak one second, back to normal the next and punching out again. It might have been funny, if it weren't such a horrid situation.

Vivi struggled and squirmed, until the chair she was in fell over, and she continued to pull herself along the floor as best she could.

"What __are__ you doing, Ms. Wednesday?" Crocodile asked, his voice full of sarcasm. He was a sadistic man, enjoying the the moment each time that he could crush the hope from Vivi, and was endlessly frustrated when she continued to look for a new solution, a new way to achieve her goal.

"There is still time! I will," she panted, trying to get her breath, "stop this! I just have to get to Alubarna and stop the rebels!"

"Well then," Crocodile smirked. "I'll give you a choice." He pulled a key out of his pocket, showing it to Vivi.

"Is that key to this cage?!" Luffy yelled out, interrupting. "Give it to me!"

Crocodile turned his head to give the cage a wicked looking smirk. Kia wished momentarily that she had something to draw with, because it was a perfect moment to capture, a villain thinking he had won. Then she felt bad, for it was not the time for that. She looked back up to see Crocodile looking at her, eyes narrowed, and she quickly looked anywhere besides his face, embarrassed that perhaps she had said something or made a noise.

Crocodile dropped the key on the floor. "Your choice is simple. If you want to stop the rebellion, you would have to leave right now. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of people… __your people…__ will die. Or… you could stay here and save your friends, just by opening the cage."

He stepped forward, triggering the trap door, and Nami and Usopp squawked as the key disappeared. "Oops. Unfortunately, I dropped the key into the bananagators' pen." He paused and gave Vivi a careless shrug. "Well, there are your choices, Ms. Wednesday." Vivi was finally successful in getting out of her bonds, and went forward to peer down the trap door at the key.

"Hey! Look!" Luffy shouted, drawing his friends' attention. "There are gators growing out of those bananas!"

The others looked out of the windows behind the cage, and Kia almost asked Luffy to point them out, because she couldn't see them. Then, where she was looking for an alligator, she saw a single eye. She could hear the others talking, but couldn't understand them, as she swallowed hard, fear gripping her tightly. The reptile was gigantic, and made her think of a dinosaur, rather than a reptile. It felt as if that huge eye was looking right through her, and she became more panicked as her vision widened and she saw how many there were, her breathing erratic.

Kia didn't know how long she stood like that, but eventually she felt a hand on her shoulder. She assumed it was Zoro, he was always one to watch out for his crew mates. She was led to the bench, and turned to sit. Now that she couldn't look at the gators any longer, it was like she came out of some sort of trance, and she looked up. Smoker stood in front of her, blocking her from everyone else, and said quietly, "Deep breaths, nice and slow."

She did as he said, closing her eyes and concentrating on her breathing, until she felt herself calm. She was still terrified of the gators, but reminded herself that she didn't have to face them. __Oh crap, Vivi!__ she thought, her eyes flying open, to see Vivi narrowly escape from a gator's jaws.

"Buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru- cah-lick."

"Yes?" Ms. All Sunday asked after she answered the baby transponder snail.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," she replied, though the voice wasn't convinced.

"Are we connected? Hello?" the voice asked again, and Kia smiled as she recognized it, both from memory, and because she had heard him speak not long ago.

"Hurry up and state your business," Crocodile snarled, not appreciating the interruption.

"Ah, now that voice sounds familiar," the voice said casually. "Hello, you've reached the Crap Cafe…"

"It's Sanji," Kia said quietly, so happy that they were about to get out of there. The others looked back at her momentarily, and Nami looked relieved. Kia heard her say, "thank goodness."

Usopp quickly kept Luffy from shouting out Sanji's name, covering his mouth and speaking softly to him. "Don't say it, they don't know about him, or Chopper yet." Luffy nodded, and Usopp released him.

They went back to watching Crocodile, who looked much less amused now, though Ms. All Sunday still wore a smirk. "Who is this?" Crocodile demanded to the voice on the snail.

"Who am I?" he responded. "You can call me… Mr. Prince." That was all it took before Luffy and Usopp starting shouting.

"Get us out of here Prince!"

"Hurry, there's not much time!"

"Ha ha, sounds like my crew mates are there with you. I guess I'll just…"

They didn't hear what he was going to say, as there was an extremely loud gunshot, and what sounded like an explosion. The others looked stricken, but Kia just sighed, resting back on the bench. All this upheaval was making her head pound.

"You're awfully calm."

Kia turned her head, remembering at just that moment that Smoker was still sitting beside her. She gave a small smile, thinking quickly. There was a lengthy pause before she said, "Sanji is too strong to be taken down by Baroque Works peons."

"Seems your friends don't share that sentiment," he mused, gesturing to where the others were panicking, Zoro being the exception, though he looked really angry.

Kia looked back at Smoker and shrugged. "Oh, and thanks. For… earlier." He grunted at her, which she assumed meant, __Not a problem for a charming and beautiful young lady such as yourself.__

Sitting in a cage and unable to do anything, made the whole thing seem surreal, like it was a show. She watched as she had once read, how Crocodile laughed, feeling again as if he had won. How Vivi ran for the broken staircase, barely escaping the bananagator, only to have Crocodile throw her back down. The others yelled to give her encouragement and in desperation when it looked like she might not succeed.

Finally she was again atop the stairs, though at the cost of some windows in the underwater room. The water began pouring in much more rapidly, and she shouted as she ran, "I won't abandon you! I'm going to get help!"

"Okay! We're counting on you Vivi!" Usopp yelled back.

Kia sat there quietly with Smoker, as Nami taunted the bananagator into biting down on the cage, only to break its teeth on the bars. The gator was slightly less scary now and she watched in surprise as it went miserably to a corner of the room… like it was… pouting? It was very strange.

"So… Kia, was it?"

She glanced at Smoker again, nodding in answer to his question.

"Exactly how much do you guys know about what Crocodile is up to here?"

"HEY!" The two faced forward, looking at an outraged Usopp and Luffy. "Are you friends now or something?!" Luffy demanded.

"How can you be so calm?! Get over here and help us!" Usopp cried.

Kia gave them a look that clearly stated, __are you serious right now?__ and gestured to Smoker with a hand. "Being friendly, does not make someone your friend. He is a __marine captain,__ and I am sailing with a pirate crew. Those two things don't mix."

She huffed a little at the implication, but inwardly, she was kind of wishing she __could__ be friends with Smoker.

"And we're not over there, because he," she said pointing to Smoker, "ate a devil fruit, and therefore would be worthless in the water, and I… am trying to stay dry."

Smoker made a sound like he almost laughed, but quickly covered it up with a cough. Kia gave him a big smile, which he didn't return, but she still felt great about it. "We're here to help our friend, that's all," she finally replied to his earlier question.

Smoker's gaze hardened slightly as he told them about the implications of Nico Robin joining up with Crocodile… implications that would affect much more of the world than just Alabasta.

Luffy fidgeted as he listened, but finally had had enough. "I don't need any more reasons to kick Crocodile's butt!" he shouted.

"Very well," Smoker replied. "What's your plan then?"

Luffy's willpower was able to do amazing things, especially if he didn't think about what was going on around him. But as soon as he looked down and noticed the water reaching his thighs, he slumped over onto Usopp. "Ugh… I feel so weak."

Usopp started shaking Luffy, shouting at him to hang on, Vivi was bound to come back soon. Nami was looking up, asking Vivi to hurry, and Zoro was glaring at the cage, grousing that he was too weak to slice the bars and save his crew. And, another bananagator made it into the room and started heading for the cage, growling loudly.

"It's not polite," they all turned and stared, looking for the source of the new voice, "to roar at the table!" Kia grabbed Smoker's arm without thinking, grinning up at him.

"BAD MANNERS KICK COURSE!"

The gator was kicked directly in the middle, almost folding over due to the power of the hit. It coughed up several pieces of… something, and rolled over onto its back, looking like it was passed out.

"Hi," Sanji said coolly, as he tapped out his cigarette into the water. "Been waiting long?"

Usopp and Luffy cheered, Nami breathed a sigh of relief, and Zoro ground his teeth together.

"Quit showing off, and get the key already!" Zoro yelled.

Sanji spotted Nami, and started doing his love dance. "Nami… do you love me now?"

"Yes, yes, now get us out of here!" Nami said, exasperated.

"Of course my sweet!" His voice and posture changed as he faced the gators again. "Come at me crap-bananas! I'll teach you to attack my ladies!"

"Sanji!" Usopp hollered. "We don't have time for this, just kill them and find the key!"

"The third one!" Kia shouted, at the same time that Smoker said, "Kill the third one in."

"Huh?" Luffy asked, "Why that one?"

She smirked and gestured to Smoker to answer. "What are your ears for, decoration? That one has the same growl as the one who swallowed the key," he said, glancing at Kia. Luffy looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded along.

Sanji went for the gator, kicking it in the gut to make it cough up the key. Instead they got a huge ball of wax -that turned out to hold Mr. 3, still alive, but barely. After __a lot__ of commotion, and some of Sanji's persuasion techniques, Mr. 3 used his powers to create a key that would open the cage. As soon as the door opened, Luffy and Zoro ran out, and killed every single bananagator they could get to.

Kia felt she couldn't blame them, everyone was stir crazy from being in a cage for so long, but their excess energy made it more difficult for the rest. The water pressure pushed against the damaged walls, to the point of crashing them in, and water flooded the rest of the room almost instantaneously.

Kia grabbed onto the nearest person, who happened to be Smoker, and yelled, "Deep breath!" She put him in a rescue hold, and started swimming for the surface, waiting momentarily for the press of the water filling the room to stop. As she cleared the room, she could feel Zoro grab Smoker's arm, helping her pull him to the surface.

They broke the surface of the water, the last to make it, and Zoro let go when he noticed Kia was able to keep Smoker's face above the water on her own. He got out first, and took a heavily panting Smoker from her out of the water, then assisted her in getting out as well.

Most of the crew were squeezing excess water from their clothes, though Luffy and Usopp were still laying on the ground. Sanji told Nami to spray her perfume, and swooned from the smell once she had. Kia took her hair out of its braid, and flipped it over her head, bending over to wring it dry, and looked up when she felt someone standing in front of her. She pushed her hair out of her face, and looked at Smoker in question.

Zoro stepped in front of Kia, and without even seeing them pull out their weapons, the jutte and sword were in a battle as well, holding each other back.

Smoker glared at her, water dripping down his face. "Why?" he asked.

"You ate a devil fruit, you can't swim," she said, as if she was stating the obvious. Which technically, she was.

Smoker glanced over to Zoro, questioning him as well. "Captain's orders. __I'd__ have let you drown."

He looked between the two of them. "Then you'll have no problem if I do my duty now," he began, just as Luffy and Usopp jumped up.

"Where's that Crocodile!" Luffy grumbled.

"Let's go! On to Alubarna!" Usopp shouted, then they turned to look at Kia and Zoro. "Aah! It's Smoker! Watch out Luffy! Run away!"

"Smokey!" Luffy brought his fists up, ready to throw down. "You wanna fight?" he demanded.

Smoker just looked at him, both of them staring at the other, and then his eyes closed. "Go."

"What?" Luffy stated.

"This is the only time I will let you get away." He looked over at Kia, and she felt as if he was trying to understand something that she couldn't begin to explain. "Next time… you're dead meat, Straw Hat."

Luffy didn't back down, and Zoro started laughing. The others looked at each other in shock, before they all took off running. They could hear the Marines coming towards them, and Zoro pushed Kia forward as he called out, "Luffy! Come on!"

"Okay," Luffy replied, before turning back to Smoker. "Hey, you're all right."

Kia giggled as she heard Luffy running away from Smoker's angry rant.

* * *

They ran as fast as they could, though they got tired fairly quickly as they headed out of town.

"Are we going to run all the way to Alubarna?" Usopp complained.

"Maybe we can get some horses?" Luffy asked Vivi.

"But the Marines are all around town," she replied.

"Just relax," Sanji stated. "Look up ahead."

Most of them stopped immediately, some of them skidding on the sand as they tried. Kia, tripped and fell over, and was caught by Usopp before she hit the ground. In front of them, was a huge crab, as tall as the buildings in the town. Kia was sure her mouth hung wide open. And up on top of it was…

"Chopper!" Kia yelled, so happy to see him again.

"Hop on everyone!" he called down from atop the crab.

"We can ride it?!" Luffy yelled with a grin and stars in his eyes. "So cool!"

"Yeah, but he's looking at me all creepy-like," Nami said quietly.

"He's Eyelash's friend, he has lots of friends here, since this is his hometown!" Chopper called out, as everyone started climbing onto the crab's giant claw. Kia just eyeballed it, even though she wasn't the shortest, she didn't think she could jump that high.

"I'll help you Kia my heart!" Sanji said in a sing song voice, coming over to her, just as Zoro grabbed her waist and threw her up on top of the claw.

"Aah!" she yelped, as she landed on Luffy. "Thanks for the assist, Captain," she grumbled to Luffy, who laughed. "You too Zoro!" she yelled out, only to yelp again as Zoro jumped up next to her, startling her.

The crab raised his claw once they were all on, bringing it level with his back, and they moved over to sit on his back. Kia walked over and sat next to Vivi.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it Vivi?" she asked as she sat down. Vivi looked at her in surprise, and gave a small, tight lipped smile. Kia could tell she wasn't angry, but she had hurt her feelings, and Vivi hadn't quite gotten over that yet.

Kia turned slightly, so she could watch the town behind them. Chopper yelled, "Giddy-up!" and the crab started moving, the feeling so fast because of how large he was. Kia kept her eyes peeled, looking for any sign of-

She interrupted her own thoughts, as she saw the gleam of his hook, coming straight for Vivi. She had originally planned to just move Vivi out of the way, so that he didn't get any of them, but that isn't what happened. Kia pushed Vivi, and in her haste, not only put herself where Vivi had just been, but pushed so hard that Vivi crashed into Luffy, toppling over him.

"Kia, what-?" Zoro didn't finish as the others gasped, as Kia was pulled away from the crab, floating in the air above the sand by a golden hook around her waist. The hook that was following a trail of sand back towards the city.

"Chopper, make it stop!" Zoro shouted.

"KIA!" she could hear them all shouting and she reached out, trying to get free. Her hand was grabbed, and she grinned, relieved, as Luffy rocketed towards her, his body coming to meet his hand that had grasped hers. He tried for a moment to free her, before he stopped, and turned to shout back.

"I can handle this! Keep going!"

"Luffy!" the shouts came as they got further away.

"Take care of Vivi!" he yelled.

"Make sure she gets to Alubarna!" Kia added, as loud as she could. She couldn't see their faces any longer, but she just knew Zoro smirked, and directed Chopper to get the crab moving again.

"Don't worry Kia," Luffy said to her as they fell to the sand, "I'll protect you."

* * *

Zoro stood resolutely, even as Usopp and Vivi yelled at him about abandoning Luffy. __Didn't they get it? He was giving them a way to help Vivi achieve her goal! Nami got it, she was smart enough, but even the stupid cook understood, so why didn't they?__

"Listen Vivi," Zoro said, because she needed it. "Time is ticking down on this kingdom's fate. If the royal and rebel armies clash, then Alabasta is finished, right? You are the only hope of preventing that… so you are the one that must survive… no matter what may happen to the rest of us."

Sanji rolled his eyes at the muscle-bound jerk. __Couldn't he be slightly less blunt towards the princess? She was delicate, after all.__ "Vivi, when you started this several years ago, you had no idea the true nature of group you took on," Sanji said gently. "But, you need to remember… you're not fighting all alone any longer."

Vivi looked, and could still see the small speck that was Luffy and Kia, left in the sand behind them. She had to let them know she believed in them. "Luffy! Kia! WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA!"

She smiled as the answer came drifting in much more quietly than it must have been originally.

"Yeah!"

She sat back down, feeling much lighter than before, though confused. After a time, "Nami?" she asked quietly, her friend seated next to her. "I've been horrible, and she still did that…"

Nami smiled, rapping on the princess's head with her knuckles. "Because silly, we're friends. She may have accidentally hurt you, but she never stopped caring."

"I guess I haven't either," Vivi admitted. "I'm so worried about what Crocodile will do…"


	30. Chapter 30- Raise the White Flag!

"Looks like the princess got away."

Still in Crocodile's hook, Kia was tossed over to Ms. All Sunday, who was still giggling. Kia glanced up at her, as hands bloomed cuffing her arms behind her, but the older woman didn't spare her a glance. She was so intrigued with Luffy, which was understandable, since Luffy didn't act like what most considered a normal pirate.

Luffy stood up, brushing the sand from his clothes. He glanced over at Kia, and she smiled, letting him know she was fine.

"It seems so," Crocodile grumbled, answering Ms. All Sunday's comment. "But we have one of her friends, and knowing the princess' weakness, she'll come to save her."

"That's not her weakness," Luffy said, still looking down and brushing sand away from his clothes. "it's her strength. She will always help others, and she'll never stop fighting. But, as long as you stay here, she'll kill herself trying to stop you from harming anyone."

Luffy looked straight at Crocodile and cracked his knuckles. "So I'm gonna finish you here."

"Ha ha ha!" Crocodile's scorning laugh boomed out around them. "How very noble of you to give your life for some stranger you befriended. I'll desert you like the dozens of other fools before you!"

"That makes __you__ the fool!" Luffy shouted back with a smirk.

Ms. All Sunday broke out in a laugh, but tried to keep it quiet. Crocodile heard however, and turned his angry face towards the woman.

"And what are __you__ laughing at?! Are you wanting to die too, Nico Robin?!"

Robin's smile faded, but she merely eyed Crocodile, calling his bluff. "If you'd like. However, you promised not to call me by that name." Robin grabbed Kia's arm, and turning her, started shepherding her back towards Rainbase.

"Where are you going?" Crocodile demanded.

"On to Alubarna," she replied without looking back. Kia could hear Crocodile grumbling, though she couldn't make out the words.

"Uh," she started, then coughed to clear her throat, "Ms. All Sunday?"

"Yes?" she answered, from behind her.

"I'd like to go to Alubarna as well, to meet up with my friends. So, if you'd prefer, you don't need to prod me along. I'll go willingly."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"To be honest? I don't know how to get there, and I want to help stop the war. It's so pointless."

"Ha ha," she chuckled. "Maybe from your point of view, but it will serve its purpose."

Kia hesitated, unsure of how much to push. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, though that doesn't guarantee an answer."

Kia stopped, as she was going to ask why Robin didn't want to use her name, but after she thought it, she realized it was a dumb question. So instead she blurted out, "My name's Kiana. What's yours? I mean, what should I call you?"

There was only silence, and Kia shrugged, and the pair walked on for some time. As they came back to Rainbase, they went around to the side of a building. Kia's arms were suddenly freed, and she turned as she stretched them out, looking at Robin in question, but she was looking at the sky, where they had come from.

"It seems your captain has a knack for frustrating Crocodile."

Kia chuckled, "That's putting it mildly, and he's not the only one."

Robin smiled, and started walking again. "It will be faster with an Accelegator," she said. Kia followed, and rounded the building to find a large gator, only slightly smaller than the others she had seen, but much leaner. His snout was longer, and the banana was atop the end of his snout, instead on top of his head. There was some type of saddle, with lush seats, and a covering over the top.

"Wow," Kia said quietly. The gator was eyeballing her as they walked forward. "He's impressive," she added. The gator continued to growl, but appeared to puff up some, as if he understood her, and was proud of it.

"The accelegator is the second fastest animal in Alabasta," Robin told Kia as she climbed into the front seat, and gestured beside her for Kia to climb in. "It will give us time to see the outcome of our captains' duel."

"Okay," Kia answered, and as soon as she had sat, the gator took off. In less than a quarter of the time it had taken them to walk, they were back at the spot where they had left Luffy and Crocodile. Kia couldn't see much, but she noticed Luffy's head above the sand, down in a large crater left by Crocodile's sink hole.

"It seems Crocodile won," Kia stated with a frown.

"And yet," Robin answered, as she climbed out of the seat. "He is still fighting… why?" She walked forward, probably to ask that question to Luffy. Kia stayed where she was, watching.

Robin strode forward, and using her powers, pulled Luffy out of the sand. They spoke quietly to each other, and Kia could hear Luffy panting and coughing every so often. One of Robin's hands popped up from the sand next to Luffy's hat, and threw it to her. She caught it, and tossed it down on top of Luffy's stomach.

"Finally, I found you!"

Behind Robin, Pell the falcon- warrior of Alabasta, dropped down and changed back to his human form, but then fell to his knee. Kia could see Robin smirk, as she suggested that he help Luffy, since he was the one who had been protecting his princess, it was the least he could do. She came back to Kia then, and hopped back onto her seat.

"Did you want to stay with your captain?" she asked.

"I'll go on with you, if that's all right," Kia replied. If Robin was surprised, she didn't show it, merely set the gator back in motion, and they raced off to Alubarna.

"Thank you, for helping him," Kia said finally.

"I was merely sating my curiosity," she responded.

"True, but it was still a help to me, and I appreciate it."

"I must admit, I find your captain… and his crew… as something of a puzzle," she said.

"Well, I am the newest member, but if I can help, I'll be glad to answer any questions. Well," she clarified, "almost any. We are on opposing sides at the moment, are we not?"

"That is true," Robin answered with a smirk. "However I find it more rewarding to discover the answer to a puzzle on my own, but… thank you."

The ride had taken quite a while, and Kia used the quiet to go through what she could remember about what her friends were doing. If all went according to what she knew, they had their own difficulties in traveling to Alubarna, and then used a decoy plan to give Vivi a chance to stop the rebel army. That would be thwarted by a Baroque Works agent blasting a cannonball into the oncoming rebel army, obscuring their vision, and keeping Vivi from being seen.

Then everyone else would be fighting the number agents, and their female partners. They would win, but get pretty banged up in the process, and eventually gather in the square outside the palace, where Vivi would join them.

Going with Robin to the palace sounded like a good idea at the time, but since Vivi would be thrown off the building by Crocodile, and pretty much everyone else up there died… perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all.

That's when a crazy idea struck her, and she wondered if she would be able to pull it off.

Kia kept going over her memories, trying to piece together some sort of time line, trying to guess at what would happen if she used her knowledge to make a difference. Would it really change things that much if she told Robin about the poneglyph? Or Pell where the cannon is hidden? Or even something as small as warning Luffy about Crocodile's poisoned hook?

That's when Robin's words from earlier came back to her.

"Ms. All Sunday? Earlier, you said that you liked to figure out puzzles for yourself."

"Hmm? Yes, I do."

"Would there be harm in telling someone something? In not letting them find out for themselves?"

"I take it you don't mean my questions about your captain," she replied. "And I admit, I am curious about what knowledge you may be wanting to share that has you asking this," she mused before answering Kia.

"However there is no one answer to your question, as there are many factors that would weigh in. But in a general sense, no, not harm per se, but by giving the answer, you are taking away the opportunity for the other person to gain the knowledge for themselves- which won't mean as much, won't stretch the person's mind. There would be no growth, and instead of relying on themselves in the future, you've made the person reliant on you for answers. Or the person could simply not believe what you are telling them, needing to find it out for themselves. Again, this is just a general answer. In my own case, I enjoy the pursuit of knowledge, and hate to have the answers given to me."

"Thank you, that helps."

"My pleasure." She was quiet for several moments. "Were you to give me more specifics, I would try to assist you further?" she ventured.

Kia gave a small smile, though Robin couldn't see it. "Were we on the same side of this conflict, I would probably take you up on that," Kia answered.

"I see," Robin replied, and they went back to silence.

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at a cave just outside the city, and picked up another passenger, and Kia was shocked to see it was the king. She had assumed the other agents would bring him to the palace. He didn't say anything, but looked to be in pretty bad shape. Robin said nothing as she practically hauled him onto the gator, and they started making their way towards the north end of the city, away from the fighting.

It was faint, but they could hear the roars of the people, and the weapons as the armies clashed, the battle just beginning. They came to a stop outside the North city gates, and Kia exited the gator after Robin, helping her to get the king out, without aggravating his wounds.

"Let's go," Robin said, and headed off towards the palace, pushing the king ahead of her, and Kia followed, keeping pace.

"Do I need to be restrained?" Kia asked hesitantly.

"Ah, that's true, I suppose I forgot."

Kia folded her arms behind her back again, and felt hands joining together across her arms, keeping them in place. It was a very strange feeling, knowing there were hands coming out of her back, and she couldn't help but giggle.

Robin glanced at her in question, and she shrugged. "I've wondered sometimes what it would be like to have an extra hand, but this wasn't what I was picturing."

Robin smiled slightly, and then tugged Kia over so that she was next to the king, and continued to shepherd them to the palace.

They climbed a bunch of stairs, so many that Kia was completely out of breath, and grumbled to herself about working out more. The king kept giving her furtive glances, and she realized he must be wondering who she was, and why she was there, but she didn't say anything to him.

The large doors to the palace courtyard were opened by what looked like palace guards, but Kia looked for the tattoos, and found them on their arms. Baroque Works insignia, plain as day. It made her wonder what the other guards thought the tattoos were when they saw them, or if these agents had kept them covered until now.

It was quite noisy now, as they walked past a huge, open door. Kia looked down, seeing the backs of the royal army, stationed to be the last line of defense for the palace.

"Shut these doors," Robin ordered, and the fake guards were quick to obey. They waited there, in silence, listening for… something. Robin must have known what it was, because after a time, she brought her hands up, crossed in front of her chest and smirked. "Dieciseis fleurs" she said, closing her eyes, and smiling. The king and Kia watched her, but didn't see anything besides her. However, they could hear shouting from the other side of the door.

"What are you doing to them?!" the King demanded, the first time he spoke.

"Ensuring our privacy," Robin responded. "Let's go."

They walked towards the courtyard, hearing the screaming all around them, though it was faint from how high up they were. Ahead of them, Kia could see Vivi and Chaka looking up, and above, she could hear Crocodile gloating about his new palace.

Robin pushed the king up against the wall, just as a cloud of sand descended upon them. Kia closed her eyes, and heard a groan of pain. Feeling the sand leave, she opened her eyes again, to see the king impaled with large spikes through his arms holding him to the wall. Robin stood next to Kia, and Crocodile was on the other side of the king. Kia could see his grin as he took in the state of the king.

"There seems to be quite a commotion going on outside the gate," Robin said loudly, gaining Vivi and Chaka's attention, which then fell on the king.

"Father!"

"Your Majesty!"

The king looked up, blood dried and caked to his face. "Vivi… I'm sorry. You've risked your life to save this kingdom, and I have ruined it!"

"Father…" Vivi panted, her face twisting in anger as she glared at Crocodile. "How did he get here? Where are Luffy and Kia?" she demanded.

"Straw Hat? He's dead," Crocodile stated, as he blew out smoke from his cigar. "As for your other friend…" he gestured over to Kia with a look.

"Kia!" Vivi started forward, only to be stopped by Chaka. "Are you okay? Where's Luffy?"

"I'm okay!" Kia answered. "Luffy and I got separated, but I'm sure he's on his way here!"

Crocodile scoffed at her. "What is it about your crew that gives you such optimism? I told you, he's dead, and soon princess, you and the king will join him. When a kingdom dies, the royal family dies with it." He glanced back at the king, walking over to stand in front of him. "However Cobra, before you die, I need to know. Where is the Pluton?"

The king gasped, but Vivi and Chaka only looked confused.

"How… ?" King Cobra asked, but steeled himself and demanded, "Where did you hear of such a thing?"

"It has been my goal from the very beginning!"

Kia tuned out Crocodile's monologue, focusing instead on trying to get Vivi's attention, mouthing her name over and over, and shaking her head. She even bounced up and down a couple of times, until Robin glanced over at her with a frown, so she stopped.

"HOW COULD YOU?! WHAT HAVE THEY EVER DONE TO YOU?" Vivi shouted, startling Kia.

"They are nothing to me," Crocodile answered, turning back to the king. "So King Cobra, where then is the Poneglyph?"

"The ponegylph?" Vivi asked. "Why would you need that record?"

"If I … tell you… no. I'll show you… where it is," Cobra answered. He looked much weaker than he had moments before. He had probably lost a lot of blood by now.

"Ha ha! The mighty king! That's a wise decision, __your majesty,"__ Crocodile mocked him, causing Chaka to finally have had enough.

Kia noticed Robin wince beside her, drawing Kia's attention to Robin's hand, as she looked at it. There was a small cut, with blood dripping down. It seemed peculiar, until Kia remembered the hands she had placed on the door to the courtyard, keeping the royal army away.

"Do not touch him!" A shout rang out, as four large men came walking up the stairs. "We are charged with protecting the king, and if you go to harm him, you will deal with us."

"I'm not in the mood, so I'll be merciful this once. Go home, and live." Crocodile said in a bored tone.

"That is not possible, now."

"No! Those marks!" Chaka exclaimed, and Vivi looked at him.

"Chaka? What is it?" she asked.

"In order to gain strength beyond their own, they drank a lethal elixir… they cannot be saved!" Chaka exclaimed, "you fools!" he muttered to himself as he hung his head in his hands.

"Please forgive us, Lord Chaka, but this man…. this man must feel Alabasta's wrath!"

They all watched on, as the four dying men did their best against Crocodile. He simply took their blows, dissipating into sand and reforming each time. He didn't fight back, he just watched in amusement, as they fought on, until they each dropped, the elixir claiming them.

"No respect for life," Crocodile said sarcastically, which had Chaka in a fury. He threw aside his cape, transforming into his devil fruit form, and running straight for Crocodile. "This is the height of stupidity!" Crocodile yelled, then turned to notice Chaka coming for him. "Ah! Will you die for your king as well?"

The fight was mercifully short, and thankfully Crocodile didn't kill Chaka. Vivi looked on the verge of tears, and Kia started inching away from Robin. Soon… she would be needing to make her escape soon.

"Vivi!"

Everyone turned, to find the leader of the rebel army in the courtyard.

"Koza!" Vivi yelled back, seeming happy to see him.

"... the secret passage…" Kia could make out from the king.

"I don't understand…" Koza said. "I came to plead with the royal army, to stop this war. And instead I find the king being killed by our nations' hero… What am I seeing?"

"Confused?" Robin asked cheerfully. "It's quite simple. Just imagine the worst possible scenario."

"Who stole the rain from this kingdom?" Koza demanded.

Up until this point, Kia had been trying to avoid attention, but she needed to get to the stairs behind Chaka, which meant being in sight of all the players in this strange play. She no longer paid any attention to what was being said, knowing that it's wasn't essential to hear.

She stuck close to the wall, and moved slowly, stopping and pausing when it looked like someone may look her way. Everyone was so involved with each other, that Kia was going unnoticed. Until, she saw Robin glance back at her. Their eyes met, and after a moment, Kia raised a brow in question. If Robin was going to do something, Kia would prefer she do it sooner than later.

She gave Kia a smirk, and pointedly turned her back. Kia gave a smirk of her own, and continued to the top of the stairs. She crept down a few, and crouched, knowing that Vivi and Koza would make their way there, going down to the rebel army to raise the white flags.

Within moments, Koza was running to the stairs, and Vivi tackled him, explaining her plan to stop the war. Crocodile went to stop them, and Chaka stood to block his attack.

"Vivi!" Kia said as she stood, so Kia could see her. "I'll help him!" Vivi looked surprised, but relieved.

"Thank you Kia!" she called, and turning to Koza, said, "Kia's my friend, she can help!" Koza nodded, and grabbing Kia's arm, went running down the stairs, and Kia hustled to keep up.

Kia could hear Vivi yelling from above them, "Royal Army! Raise the white flag! I beg you!"

The soldiers all looked up at the pair, as they came running down the stairs above them, murmuring about Koza being there.

"Yes!" Koza shouted. "I'm going to stop the rebel army, and tell them this war was wrong!"

Kia followed him down the rest of the staircase, as the royal army captain decided to listen to the princess' words. They seemed relieved that the fighting would end. As she came up to the man in charge, and he and Koza discussed the location best suited for Koza to be, Kia interrupted.

"We must be cautious."

They both stopped to look at her, and she hurried to continue. "Crocodile said something earlier about having men stationed in both armies to incite the war. If that is true, they will not hesitate to destroy this chance we have to stop the fighting."

"With the white flags out, everyone will stop," Koza said. "We will be able to speak to them."

"True enough, but if I were one of Crocodile's men, here in the royal army, and the rebels were all stopped listening to their leader speak of ending the fighting…"

"You could be in grave danger," the captain said to Koza, understanding where Kia was saying.

"We don't have the time to root out Crocodile's men," Koza said angrily. "We have to take this chance."

The captain and Kia looked at each other. "Very well, but we will be standing there with you," the man replied.

The captain found a small sword and a pistol, so now Kia was armed with weapons she had no idea how to use. There was a large piece of rubble, it looked almost like a bell, and Koza stood atop it, holding out his white flag. All around them, soldiers waved their flags as well, as the rebel army came stampeding in the square.

The army didn't stop immediately, but as they came closer, they recognized Koza. They pushed closer and closer, wanting to make sure they were not being deceived, wanting to believe it was their leader.

"Koza?!" Kia could hear several of them shout.

"Yes!" Koza exclaimed. "The battle is over! Rebel army, throw down your weapons!"


	31. Chapter 31- Day of Miracles

Kia and the captain were both facing the royal army, their backs to Koza, looking for threats to his life. She could see several men that looked less than happy about holding a white flag, but that didn't mean anything. She kept searching the crowd, looking for weapons, but found none.

She could hear the relief in Koza's voice, and she turned, unsure of why the attack wasn't coming, to see the captain beside her, raising his gun to Koza's back. The white flag he held, was blocking him from view of the others, and she screamed "No!"

He managed to shoot three times by the time she reached him, the sword in her hand unknowingly going straight through his torso, as she tackled him to the ground. Koza fell as well, and before she could think straight, the shouting and fighting had commenced again.

"Nice…try…" Kia heard as she lifted her head, the traitorous captain's voice wheezing under her. She glared at his face, as he became more and more pale. She lifted herself off him, noticing the fatal wound that she had caused, and the small blood stain on her shirt. She felt so many things at once, that she had to push it all down to deal with another time. The most prominent was that she was going to be sick, but she tamped that feeling down as well. "mission…. accomplished," he added quietly, and died right in front of her.

 _ _The whole time, he was one of Baroque Works?! How many years had he been working his way up the army in Alabasta, to do this for Crocodile, who didn't even care! What a waste.__ Kia felt sorry for the man, but remembering Koza, left his side to go find the rebel leader. With all the fighting going on, and the dust it created, she couldn't see, and couldn't hear anything but shouting. She crawled around, having to climb over wounded and dead men, searching for Koza.

"KOZA!" she shouted, but she could hardly hear her own voice, so she didn't bother calling out after that. After what seemed an eternity, she finally found the bell that Koza had been standing on. How she had gotten so far away from it, she had no clue,thinking she must have wandered away from Koza instead of towards, and she berated herself for time wasted, hoping he was okay.

Each body Kia came to after that, she turned over, searching faces to find Koza's. Some men she found were still alive, and she helped drag them over to the bell, the huge structure providing some cover for them, so they would not be in danger of being trampled. She tore multiple pieces from her clothes-her desert cover up going first- helping to stop the bleeding from wounds they received. Finally, finally, she turned a body over, and found Koza's face. He was too heavy for her to move, as tired as she was.

His eyes fluttered open, as Kia assessed the damage to his body. Two of the captain's shots hit him, one in the arm, and one in the torso. "Hold still, and breath deeply!" she yelled close to his ear so he could hear her. She hiked his shirt up, and put her ear to his chest, covering her other one with her hand, trying to hear if his lung had been punctured.

Not hearing anything that sounded bad, and his heartbeat seemed fine, if a little fast, she raised herself back up, and lowered his shirt. He was giving her an incredulous look, and his face was pretty red.

"Are you okay?" she yelled, her head tilting in question. He nodded, so she shrugged. "Can you walk?" she mimed walking as she asked, since he couldn't hear her. He nodded again, moving his hand back and forth in a gesture of so-so. Kia nodded again, and leaned closer to shout in his ear. "I've been putting wounded men by the rubble, this way. It's not far, we can make it!"

She leaned away, looking at him in question, and he nodded again. She tugged and pulled, helping him to his feet, and letting him lean on her, they made their way over to the makeshift infirmary. She helped him back down, so he was leaning against the bell. He tried to say something, but she just covered his mouth, and yelled, "No! Just rest!"

Kia didn't give Koza a chance to protest. Her friends were out there somewhere, looking for the cannon and the bomb, and she needed to help them! She had left her sword where it was… stuck, and couldn't bring herself to get it back, so armed with a pistol, she moved out towards the edge of the fighting.

Her mind was whirling, because she had changed something. She had fought, and doing her best, Koza was still wounded, but much less than before. True, not much had changed in the whole scheme of things, but for Koza, things were better. She decided then and there, if she could find Pell, or any of the Straw Hats, she would tell them where the cannon was.

She couldn't make everything better, she knew that, and she'd have to really think things through, later. But for now, she was going to do what she could to help.

Each time Kia ventured out to find her friends, she came across wounded men. And each time, she almost kept going, but her mind would replay her own words back, __I'll do what I can to help.__ She had meant her friends when she thought that, but she couldn't walk past these men, knowing she could help them.

On the tenth trip back to the bell, Kia sank down with the injured man, panting, as she took in his wound. He had a large slice from a blade across his shoulder, that had come very close to his neck. She reached down to tear her shirt again, and noticed that if she tore any more, She would be showing off her underwear. She hadn't gotten as many bandages out of it as she wanted, since she already had blood on it from the captain, and couldn't use those pieces. She had a fleeting thought that if she had kept the dancer outfit on, she would have been out of bandages long before.

Kia wasn't one to show off skin, but really, this guy needed something over his wound more than she needed a shirt. She slipped the remains of her shirt over her head, and tore it into pieces. Tying the pieces together, and putting a small amount directly on the wound, she wrapped the tied pieces around his shoulder as tightly as she could. He grimaced a little, but she could tell he would be all right. Once she was finished, she took a minute to rest, her head hanging down and her hands on her knees as she knelt beside him.

Kia looked up as she heard someone yell something, and she slowly stood back up. She couldn't be sure, but it sounded different then the yells of battle. The men around her that were conscious started to protest, several of them looking away from her. She blushed, knowing that she was a little indecent, and Koza moved around, trying to take off his shirt for her.

"I'll find another one, just stay still and recuperate!" She yelled at him and she resolutely headed back out. She needed to find out what that yell was, and she needed to find her friends- fast.

"CROCODILE!"

Kia stopped in her tracks. She had clearly heard it that time, and she ran as fast as she could toward Luffy's voice.

She made her way towards where the sound had come, noting that she was nearing the staircase that headed back up to the palace courtyard. As she made her way through the dust, a large falcon landed right in front of her, with Luffy setting down Vivi, and hopping off it's back. Kia tried to speak, but her voice was hoarse from all the yelling she had been doing, so she just stood there, taking in the sight of her friends as they all came together. All of them looked like they had been through hell, and they were still raring to go, to help Vivi finish this.

"You're all okay!" Vivi said emotionally.

"But, where's Kia?" Chopper asked, looking around.

She was so happy to see them all, and of course, that was when she could feel her exhaustion take over. She stumbled forward, determined to make it to them. She was closest to Luffy, so she focused on making it to him, careening forward, and grabbing on to him.

"Kia?!" Luffy cried out as her turned, catching her, and keeping her upright. Kia nodded, unable to clear her throat to speak. She was so happy to see them, that she just hugged Luffy tightly. She could hear everyone else saying something, but she could only hear Luffy's words as he hugged her back and said, "I'm so glad you're all right, now we're all here!" Somehow, that realization gave her the energy to stand, and she let go of Luffy, to wipe her tear filled eyes. "But, when did you start dressing like Nami?"

Kia realized again, that she was only in her bra, and ducked behind Luffy, to try to cover herself. Most everyone looked at her in confusion, and Sanji had his tongue hanging out, like he was panting.

Kia just shook her head, not wanting to take the time to explain. Several of the others nodded along, as if that made total sense. Sanji took off his jacket and was coming forward to give it to her, when something was placed around her shoulders. Kia looked up into Luffy's face as he smiled.

"There you go." He turned back around to face everyone else and apologized. "I'm sorry I lost, but I'll beat that Croc guy this time!"

"Go get him Luffy," Zoro said, utmost confidence in his captain.

"If you can't beat him, who can?" Usopp shouted.

Kia quickly put her arms through the sleeves of Luffy's vest, and buttoned it up, so that she was covered. Sanji looked disappointed as he put his jacket back on, though how he could wear it in this heat, she had no idea. Perhaps he just didn't want to lose it.

Luffy stretched his arms up, looking up at the figure above them. He rocketed himself up, hollering "Crocodile!" Kia watched, but soon he was out of sight. Giving a sigh, she turned to look at the others, and seeing Vivi, remembered what she was going to tell her.

"Everyone, we only have ten minutes -" Vivi started before she was interrupted by a shout.

"Found you Princess Vivi!" the shout rang out, and the crew looked around wildly. They were surrounded by Baroque Works men, all armed and ready to cut them down.

"Oh no, the billions!" Vivi cried.

"We bring back your head, and we'll all get a big promotion," one of the men leered at Vivi, sword at the ready.

"Ten minutes minus… how long will these guys take?" Sanji asked Zoro.

"You're wasting time talking," Zoro grumbled back.

The two faced off with the billions, and said in unison, "Two seconds!" They raced forward cutting and kicking men left and right, plowing through the billions in record time. Kia watched in awe, as their strength was really unbelievable.

"Everyone scatter!"someone yelled, and she turned back around, just in time to see the backs of all her friends as they ran away, all in different directions.

"WAIT!" she screamed, but no one stopped and she stood there for a moment in shock. "Crap," she said, realizing that she hadn't told anyone of where the cannon was. __Now what should I do? Go chasing after someone? Go to the clock tower and try to find them nearby?__

Kia decided to go towards the clock tower, and hope to find someone on the way. It was much harder than it should have been, with the fighting everywhere, and the dust and sand still in the air. At times she couldn't even see the clock tower, so she knew it took her much longer to get there than it should have.

The next time she looked up to make sure she was going the correct way, she saw the streak of red in the sky, which must have been Usopp's signal. That meant that everyone was on their way to the clock tower, and she had to hurry!

She turned another corner, and found herself at a dead end. She turned back to go another way, but her path was blocked, by three men. Kia took off running, hoping to outrun them, but they easily caught her. She started screaming, but one of them grabbed her throat, cutting off her wind pipe.

Kia tried to stay calm, thinking of how the marines were in the square, and soon Crocodile would be defeated, and the rain would come. There were plenty of people who would help her then. She didn't want to distract any of the crew from what they needed to do… they were ALL needed to get Vivi up to the cannon!

Just then, something swooped down from the sky, landing behind the men. It was Pell! He pulled out his sword, and made quick work of them. He helped her stand, and she tried to speak, but could only manage to cough.

"Vi…vi!" cough,cough, "She needs," cough, "you!" He looked concerned, and she tried again to clear her throat. "Clock tower! Cannon ball… explodes! Thanks, but please go!"

She gave him a slight push, hoping that was enough to get the message across. He transformed and took flight again, and Kia could only hope he wasn't too late. She watched until she couldn't see him any longer, and then made her way towards the clock tower again. She felt like she was getting close, but was so tired that she stopped to sit down and rest. She leaned against a wall, getting her breath back, when a huge explosion ripped through the sky above. It was close enough that air tore through the streets, pushed from the blast, but thankfully, far enough away that the kingdom was saved.

She smiled to herself, thinking, _ _just one more minute, then I need to get up.__ She didn't know how many times she said it, but she continued to sit there, mentally and physically exhausted. She thought about what the others had been through, and she made a note to get Zoro to help her figure out a training schedule so that she could have more endurance in the future.

Then, slowly, the rain began to fall. Kia tilted her head back, enjoying the falling rain on her face. Back home, she was used to the rain falling almost every day, and had missed it. As the rain fell, the dust settled, and the voices of the battle dimmed.

Pretty soon, she could hear Usopp shouting, "Hey, I'm not a sack of potatoes! Let go!" and she grinned. Somehow, they had found her without even trying.

"Kia!" Chopper yelled, and came barreling towards her. He landed right in her lap, and they gave each other a big hug. "You're okay! I was so worried!"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, ruffling his fur. "I'm sorry, I didn't make it to the clock tower," she said to all of them. "I got detained by some Baroque Works guys, and that falcon guy- Pell, he saved me. I couldn't get there fast enough, so I sent him ahead."

They all gave her strange looks, and she asked, "What?"

Nami answered, sitting down beside Kia. "I guess we owe him twice then," she said softly. "He saved you, then he saved all of us."

They were all quiet for a moment, and Sanji looked up and said, "Oh, there he is," which had them all looking in the direction he was facing. Coming towards them, was King Cobra, carrying Luffy on his back. Luffy looked like he was passed out.

Cobra came to a stop in front of them, looking them all over, recognition dawning when his eyes met Kia's, and asked, "Who __are__ you people?"

Sanji stepped forward, looking grateful and slightly embarrassed. "That guy on your back, is our friend. Thank you for taking care of him, and we'll take him off your hands."

"Ah, so you must be the pirates who helped Vivi return to Alabasta."

"Huh? Mister, who are you?"

Before Cobra could answer, Vivi came racing around the corner, overjoyed to see everyone. "You guys! You're okay! And Papa!"

"Papa? Aah!" Sanji had a minor heart attack, "You're Vivi's father?"

"I guess that makes you the king," Zoro said, stating the obvious.

Everyone spoke for a little bit longer, before Sanji and Nami convinced Vivi that they would meet up with them later at the palace. Now, they needed to go speak to their people. As they turned to go, Kia spoke up. "Hey Vivi?" She turned back to look at her. "If you could have people on the lookout for Luffy's hat too, that would be great. He'll freak out if he doesn't have it when he wakes up."

Vivi gave a smile and a thumbs up, and she and her father headed back to the square. Once they were out of sight, the rest of the crew followed Kia's example and crashed to the ground. She was finally feeling up to moving, but instead she let them all rest.

She stayed where she was, even as the marines came by, and several of the men were ready to capture the crew. Kia snuck a peek at Tashigi as she ordered her men to stand down, trying not to smile. The marines continued by, the men at the end carrying out the unconscious form of Crocodile.

* * *

Vivi looked around at her people, hardly believing that they had finally made it to this point that she had dreamed of for so long. Not only that, but Igaram, was here, alive! It was truly a day of miracles!

She thought she was cried out, but as the people, as one voice cried out, "Long live Alabasta!" she felt the tears pricking her eyes yet again.

Vivi followed her father's example and walked among the people, giving cheer where she could, and condolences where she must. She ran over to what looked like an area where the wounded had gathered, hoping to be able to help in some way, and ran directly into-

"Koza!" Vivi shouted, overjoyed to see her friend. He was injured, but he was standing, so that was a good sign. "How badly are you hurt?"

Koza smiled at her. "Nothing that won't heal, with time. Thanks to your friend." Vivi looked at him in confusion, and he explained. "Your friend, that you sent with me… Kia?"

"Oh!" Vivi felt like face palming. That all seemed forever ago, so much had happened. "She helped you then?"

"She saved me," Koza corrected, and most of the men you see here." He gestured around at the men being treated for wounds. "She not only stopped the man that shot me, she bandaged my wounds, and brought me to a place safe from the fighting. Then she went to find you, and her friends, but she kept coming back, leading and dragging wounded men from the battle field, tearing her own clothes to make bandages… It was inspiring Vivi. Please thank her for us."

Vivi found herself holding back tears yet again. "You can thank her yourself, when you come to the palace to get looked at."

Koza shook his head. "I'm fine, and I need to get to Yuba. I don't know what had happened there, but I know that stubborn old man will be trying to fix it, and I need to help. But, don't worry, I'll let you know how we're doing."

"You'd better," Vivi answered, giving him a hug.


	32. Chapter 32- Goodbye Vivi, Hello Robin!

Kia opened her eyes slowly, seeing that it was still dark, and wondering what time it was. Next to her, Nami was still asleep, and as she sat up, she took stock of the rest of the crew. They were all still asleep, though it looked as if several of them weren't used to sleeping in beds. Sanji was on the ground with his legs up in the air, Zoro was so sprawled out, he was covering part of Sanji's bed too, Luffy also was sprawled, his mouth open wide and snoring, and Usopp was the oddest- his face pressed into the mattress with his butt and one foot in the air.

Kia giggled quietly, shaking her head at the scene they all made. Sensing something behind her, she looked around and saw Vivi, sitting in a chair at the window behind the beds, watching the rain fall.

"You didn't have to stay up and watch over us," Kia spoke in hushed tones, so as not to wake anyone else. Vivi turned her head to face Kia, with a smile.

"It's not that, not really. I just can't seem to stop watching the rain fall. It's been so long since I've seen it." She stood then, walking from bed to bed and pulling up the blankets to cover their comrades. Kia knelt up in bed, moving to lean on the headboard and look out the window at the rain.

"The whole country probably feels the same as you do," Kia commented.

"Yes, I'm sure," Vivi replied, returning to her seat and looking out once more. "Things could have gone so badly, but so many people are alive, thanks to all of you."

"You ensured most of that yourself, Vivi."

She smiled at Kia, a gesture of thanks, but she continued. "I saw Koza this afternoon, and he told me to relay his thanks to you."

"Oh, that was nice of him."

She rolled her eyes at the younger girl, "Since neither of you are forthcoming, I'll just ask, I suppose. Will you tell me what happened?"

Kia rolled her eyes back at Vivi, but smiled. "I guess I can, though it isn't really exciting…" Vivi nodded, and Kia told her of her exploits after she and Koza had left Vivi in the palace courtyard.

She didn't go into too much detail, but Vivi giggled when she told her of the loss of her shirt, "so that's why!" she commented. And when Kia explained about being caught by Baroque Works and being saved by Pell, she smiled, in a soft and sad manner.

"I just wish I could thank him, for everything. He was not only a hero, but a good friend."

"When you do thank him, make sure to convey mine as well," Kia said. Vivi looked at her in confusion, but Kia just smiled. __She obviously thought that I hadn't heard about his death, and I'll let her continue in that assumption.__ Kia didn't want to go into it now, but she also didn't want to pretend that he was dead. So she changed the subject. "I wonder where my sisters are now," she said, peering out the window. "Zoro said Reese is with the Marines, and Sanji said Ash is with Hawk-eye, and Dru… well the point is, they could be in one of the blues, or even travelling the Grand Line. They could literally be anywhere in the world right now."

"That's true…"

Vivi's tone caught Kia's attention, and she turned to look at the princess. "What is it?" Kia asked.

"Oh," she replied. "I was just wondering… when you find them, are you going to leave the crew?"

"Well… yeah. That was the deal I made with Luffy."

"Won't it be difficult, to just leave your friends behind?" she asked, looking uncertain.

"Vivi…" Kia said, realizing what she was really thinking about. "are we still talking about me?"

"Oh! I mean, o- of course!" she quickly covered her mouth, and the pair looked around, hoping no one would wake up.

"That's a hard decision for anyone," Kia finally answered. "Deciding between home with family, and adventure with friends. Everyone has different reasons to stay or go. I guess each of us has to decide which is best for us."

"And for you?"

Kia thought for a moment before answering. "I guess, I don't really think of myself as a pirate, and I'm weak… I can't fight. I'm more worried that I'll be a burden, or someone will get hurt because of me."

Kia looked back at the others, still sleeping soundly. "I'd better get back to bed," she said. "They'll be waking up soon and making all sorts of noise."

"That's true. I should get some sleep as well," Vivi said as she stood. She mumbled something that Kia thought might have been goodnight, and she looked troubled as she walked out of the room.

* * *

"Tony," a voice called.

Kia glanced up from her notes, and Chopper stopped speaking as Vivi came into the room, followed by an older man that they didn't recognize.

"Oh, Kia, I'm glad you're here too." Vivi turned to the man beside her, saying, "Doctor Furo, this is Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor I was telling you about." Turning back to Chopper, she introduced, "Tony, this is Doctor Furo, the head doctor at the palace. When he heard about your treatments of the crew, he wanted to meet you."

Doctor Furo came forward, looking curiously at the medicine compound that Chopper was currently mixing, and that Kia was taking notes on.

"And, that's it Kia. Now it's ready to either be bottled, or applied. And what will it treat?"

Kia shuffled her papers around, looking for the beginning of her notes where she had written it, as she wanted to be sure and give the correct answer.

"No, Kia, come on…" he urged, and Kia put the papers down, thinking hard.

"Um… for abrasions… cuts… and other minor wounds, preventing infection and speeding up recovery."

"Yes!"

She grinned, relieved, and made a note at the top of her page in parenthesis, _(neosporin)_ , to help her remember for the long term.

Doctor Furo started to praise Chopper, for his medicine making skills being so practical and innovative, and once Vivi stated that they came from Drum Kingdom, Doctor Furo was so thrilled, he acted as if Chopper was some sort of celebrity, which in turn had Chopper doing a happy dance while telling Doctor Furo to get lost.

Since they had finished their project, Kia offered her seat to Doctor Furo, who took it gladly, and he and Chopper began speaking of practices that were still way above her skill level. Vivi pulled her along with a smile, offering her a drink, and Kia accepted.

"Kia, wait!" Chopper called, and the girls turned back in question. "Will you check Luffy's temperature again? I want to see if it has gone down some more."

"Sure thing, Chopper," Kia replied with a salute and a wink, and she and Vivi headed out the door, practically running into Sanji and Usopp on their way out.

"There you are!" Sanji said excitedly. "Usopp and I are heading out to pick up some essentials for the crew. Do you need anything Vivi-love? Kia-darling?" he asked.

"No thank you Sanji," Vivi replied.

"Actually," Kia answered, looking down at her clothes. She was still wearing Luffy's vest and her ripped and blood-stained pants. "I think I'll need to pick up some more clothes. At this point, all I have are winter clothes from Drum Island, and the dancer outfit Sanji bought earlier."

"Which looks ravishing on you!" Sanji said with a weird smile.

"You definitely need more than that," Usopp agreed, leaning away from Sanji, giving him a disgusted look. "You should probably come with us, so you can get the right size."

"Kia, I have an entire closet full of clothes, just pick whatever you want," Vivi said with a grin. "I'd be happy to give you some clothes! Come on, it'll be fun!" she said enthusiastically tugging on her friend's arm.

"I guess I'm set then," Kia said to Usopp, and they all waved goodbye as they headed in opposite directions.

The girls spent what seemed like forever in Vivi's gigantic closet, trying on so many outfits. There were even clothes that Kia was certain didn't fit Vivi, and when she asked about it, the princess said that they had belonged to her mother, and she couldn't bear to get rid of them.

Kia found a great pair of pants and a t-shirt, and changed into them, thanking Vivi for her generosity. Vivi sent someone to fetch a couple of bags, and began filling them with clothes she insisted Kia take. Kia even ended up with a couple of things that she thought may fit Robin, and took those too, telling Vivi that she liked them so much, that she could do some alterations to make them fit better.

They walked back into the bedroom, noting that Luffy was still asleep, and Kia stowed the bags in the corner. They moved over to his bedside and Vivi took the cloth from his forehead. "It doesn't feel as warm as before," she said. Kia reached over to check his temperature with the back of her hand, and just as she did, he rolled over, still asleep.

Kia tried again, and again, but each time he moved, and Vivi chuckled as Kia huffed in frustration. Finally, Kia climbed up on the bed, ready to wrestle him down if she needed to. She couldn't believe he was somehow dodging her while he was asleep. Kia held his face in one hand, and triumphantly put her other to his forehead. That's when he rolled again, taking her with him.

Vivi laughed out loud at that, seeing Kia cuddled under Luffy, and unable to free herself. He was practically on top of her, his face in the curve of her neck, and his rubber limbs wrapped around hers, like she was his pillow. Kia was sure her face was red, as she could feel the heat, but she didn't say anything, because she was sure if she tried, what would come out was, "aww…" While she was embarrassed to be seen in that situation, it was really nice to be cuddled, so she didn't try to get free.

They heard voices coming towards the room, and both Vivi and Kia looked over, seeing Chopper followed by Usopp and Sanji come in. They stopped as they noticed her predicament, Usopp and Chopper laughing, and Sanji's mouth dropping open in shock.

"Kia… that's an interesting way to check his temperature," Chopper teased her, and she pouted.

"Not my fault!" Kia insisted, and Vivi started laughing again.

"It really isn't. He kept dodging every attempt to feel his forehead, and she tackled him to get him to stay put. Then this happened,"she said, gesturing to the bed.

"YOU CRAPPY CAPTAIN! HOW DARE YOU!" Sanji exploded, just as Luffy rolled again and sat up suddenly, toppling Kia over and off the side of the bed.

"Ow!" she yelped as her elbow hit the ground.

Sanji, distracted by Kia's yell, but in the middle of a kick towards Luffy's head, tried to spin towards the girl, and ended up falling on the ground on other side of the bed. Luffy, oblivious to all of it, punched his arms up in the air, and with a grin yelled, "Wahoo! I slept good!"

Sanji and Kia both climbed up, using the bed to help them back to their feet. Looking across the bed, Kia could see the angry glare he was giving Luffy, and she just smiled at him as she rubbed her elbow.

"My hat! Where's my hat?!" Luffy yelled, and Sanji grinned back at Kia, before reaching over to the bedside table and picking up the straw hat. He slammed it down on Luffy's head, harder than necessary, though Luffy didn't seem to mind.

"It's right here, stop being so loud. And apologize for hurting Kia!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked, then following Sanji's look, he turned the other way and seeing Kia, tilted his head in question.

"Kia? You hurt?"

"Well, you did push me off the bed, but no, I'm okay."

"Shi-shi-shi. Sorry!" he grinned.

Kia giggled back, "No problem, though Chopper gets to check your temperature from now on." The rest of the group laughed, and though Luffy looked confused, he just shrugged and laughed with them.

"What's going on in here?" Nami asked as she came into the room, carrying a small stack of books.

"I'm starving!" Luffy exclaimed. "Sanji! Breakfast!"

"That would be dinner," Sanji said, "being that it's evening.

"I'm just glad you finally got well," Vivi told Luffy with a smile.

"What do you mean, Vivi? I was never not well."

"You're covered in bandages, that should give you a clue," Usopp said with a roll of his eyes.

"You dummy," Nami added, as she packed up her newly acquired books. "You were in really bad shape after your fight, and you had a high fever. Vivi, Chopper and Kia have been looking after you all this time."

"Really?" Luffy asked, as he looked at each of them. "Aw, thanks you guys!"

The door opened then, and Zoro walked in. "Oh, hey Luffy, you're finally up," he said, as he went to pour himself a drink of water.

"Hi Zoro! Long time no see!" Luffy responded, then sat back with a bewildered expression.

"Zoro, how dare you!" Chopper yelled, rushing over to his side. "You've been training, haven't you?" he accused.

"So what?" Zoro replied.

"So I'm your doctor, and I told you not to! Where are your bandages?!"

"It was hard to move in them."

"You're healing! You shouldn't BE moving!"

"Chopper, I'll handle this," Kia stated, going over to stand by him, and looking Zoro over.

"What? Kia…"

"Hmph," Zoro grunted. "Just like I said."

"You have to explain why," Kia said to Chopper. "It's like muscles," she began explaining to Zoro. "You injure them, breaking them down, so that when they build back up, they become stronger."

"Exactly," he said smugly to Chopper.

"However," Kia continued, "What happens when you constantly tear the muscles down, without giving them time to rebuild?" she asked pointedly. "You become tired more easily, more prone to injury, and the muscle pain stays longer than normal." Chopper nodded along with her.

Zoro no longer looked smug, as he thought about what Kia had said. Chopper, realizing what she was doing, chimed in. "So, Zoro, from now on, we'll agree on how long to rest, and I won't bother you about training too soon again. Deal?"

Zoro nodded, happier, "Deal."

The door burst open, and a woman entered, and the crew looked over in shock. Even Kia was surprised at how much Terracotta looked like her husband. Another person wheeled in a cart overflowing with fruit as a snack, and Luffy pulled it all into his mouth at once and swallowing before anyone else could grab some.

Vivi and Kia giggled while Luffy informed Terracotta what was in store for the kitchen, since he wanted to catch up on all the meals he missed while he had been asleep.

Terracotta smiled at the challenge, and escorted them all to the dining room. Everyone else waited until Luffy sat down, before choosing seats. Usopp and Zoro sat across from him, thinking that the distance may be to their benefit, while Sanji and Nami sat to his right, knowing that having their food out of his direct line of sight was the better option. Chopper didn't think much of it all, going right to Vivi's side.

Kia shrugged and sat on Luffy's left, which put her next to Igaram, and across from Chaka. Once the food was served, Igaram passed dishes to her, and after handing them to Luffy, they were gone. Kia leaned over and suggested he pass them the other direction so that more people could enjoy them before Luffy got to them.

That was not to say that Kia didn't help Luffy; she was definitely an enabler. Stealing food was a part of Luffy, as surely as being rubber was, and she had figured out that if she left food for him to snatch on one side of her plate, he would leave the other side alone… usually. It also helped that she would leave most of the meat for him, whereas most of the vegetables and bread were for herself.

Right from the beginning, dinner was a noisy affair. Luffy would get his hands smacked, but it didn't deter him. Usopp finally had enough, and put flaming hot sauce on a rice ball, just before Luffy snatched it. Luffy jumped up, breathing fire, and hopping around. Once he sat down again, the servers brought another dozen dishes out, and Luffy was eating just what was in front of him again. The rest of the crew recognized the respite, and tried to eat as much as they could, as fast as they could.

"O, bubba ha heep, wub? Bah ba bub ber beebeep ab."

Kia glanced at King Cobra. The look of shock and confusion on his face had her smiling.

"Wap?!"

"Yes Luffy, that's right," Kia answered him. "Though you should wait until after dinner to chat with the king."

"Nba!"

He turned back to the food, practically inhaling it. Cobra cleared his throat, and addressed Kia, "You understood what he said?"

Kia chuckled as she cut her stuffed pasta, and nodded.. "He didn't realize you were Vivi's father before, so that's what he was asking."

"How?" he asked, and Kia laughed again.

"I have sisters," she said, as if that would explain everything.

"I don't have sisters."

Kia looked back at Luffy at his comment, seeing he had stopped eating and looked as if he was trying to decide something. Then he shrugged and starting stuffing his face again.

Chopper started choking from eating too fast, Zoro called out for more drinks, Usopp failed to keep his food out of Luffy's reach, and Sanji started asking for recipes. And during it all, Vivi was wearing a grin, if not laughing out loud.

In Straw hat fashion, it was soon a party, everyone- even the guards were laughing and enjoying themselves. After everything had been cleaned up, several servants came and escorted the crew to the baths. Nami and Kia followed Vivi, recounting some of the funnier things that occurred at dinner.

Walking into the baths, Nami and Kia were amazed, turning in a slow circle to take in everything. The bath was huge, more like natural hot springs. Walking over to a bench, they saw clean clothes laid out for them, and the three were quick to shed their dirty ones.

It was a custom Kia wasn't used to, washing outside of the bath, getting clean, and then soaking in the water, but it made sense. She hurried as quickly as she could, wanting to get to the soaking part as fast as possible. And… because she knew they would have company at some point.

Kia glanced up at the wall before removing her towel, making sure the guys weren't early, then got in the water. She swam around deciding to go to the far side of the statue in the center, because she'd be able to hide behind it once they started peeping.

"Kia, I had a thought," Vivi said, and Kia turned around to come back to the edge. She floated in the water with her arms resting on the edge of the bath, so that she could face Vivi and Nami.

"Hmm?" Kia asked, deciding this position was okay. She could relax now, and when the guys came peeking, she would just curl her legs in, and all they would see is her back.

"Kia?"

Kia looked over as her name was called again, and smiled. "Sorry, I just was thinking what I would do if someone came in here."

"I wouldn't put it past Sanji to try," Nami said with a roll of her eyes.

"With Father and Igaram there, I doubt he could," Vivi answered. "Anyway, I've been thinking since our conversation last night."

"Oh?" Kia asked. "What about?"

"You had said that your sisters could be anywhere in the world, and if they are traveling, they may eventually stop here in Alabasta. It's a remote chance, but I thought you may want to write a letter, in case they stop here at some point."

"Vivi… that's a great idea!" Kia said excitedly. "It would smart to leave letters with people we trust anywhere we go. It could help us reunite." She looked over with a grin, seeing Vivi beaming.

"I'm so glad you agree."

"I would hug you, but uh… maybe later when we're not naked."

"I wish there was a ship with a huge bath like this," Nami commented.

"The world is a big place, I'm sure there is…"

"Or," Kia cut in, "once you find treasure, you can build one on the Merry."

Nami gave her a considering look. "I'm practical enough to know the Merry won't last forever, but maybe we could get her outfitted and improved so she'll make it all the way. It's something to think about at least." She glanced back to Vivi, who was washing her back. "Let's switch," she offered.

They both stood, and moved to trade, and that's when Vivi let out a shriek. "What are you guys doing?!"

Kia immediately pulled her legs in under her, huddling at the side of the bath, very glad that she was in the water, though she had been distracted, and who knew how long they had all been there?

"You asked for it," Nami said, then opened her towel in their direction, yelling, "Happiness Punch!"

As if it was an actual punch, every single one of them fell off the wall they were hanging on. Vivi yelled, "NAMI!" in shock, and Kia just laughed as Nami pulled her towel closed and shrugged.

She turned back to the wall and shouted, "Every one of you now owes me 100,000 beri!"

* * *

Kia left Nami and Vivi in the baths and hurried back to the crew's room. She didn't have much time, and she wanted to give herself plenty of time to write a letter, and finish her present for Vivi that she had been working on in secret.

She finished the present first, and tucked it underneath her pillow, knowing that eventually Vivi would get it, and hopefully it would help with the sadness of missing friends. Then she sat and started writing ideas for her letter. She knew she couldn't say anything straight out, but also knew her own limitations. She wouldn't be able to make it coded or anything, but at least she could tell them that she was safe, and looking for them… and maybe a few other things.

Everyone began trickling in, and Nami got everyone's attention and announced that they should leave that night.

As expected, there was some surprise, but once they all thought about it, the decision made the most sense.

Before anything else, a servant came in with a transponder snail, and Luffy had an enlightening conversation with Bon Clay. Everyone began packing their things, and Kia hurried to finish her letter, as Nami explained to Vivi how she could join the crew if that was what she wanted. Luffy tried his best to convince Vivi to just come with them now, and she smiled at his enthusiasm.

"To get there by morning, you'll need help," she said, leading the crew through the palace, to the SuperSonic Duck Squadron's headquarters.

Luffy immediately jumped up on Ivan X, since he was the tallest, and everyone else calmly climbed aboard one of the squadron.

"Chopper? Ride with me?" Kia asked, and he nodded. Kia handed Vivi her letter, and gave her a hug. "Thank you Vivi. Whatever you decide, we'll always be friends," Kia said, and she and Chopper climbed up on Bourbon Jr., thanking him for his help, and he nodded, giving them a loud quack.

"He said he's happy to help us, since we helped Vivi," Chopper translated for Kia.

"Get them there safely you guys," Vivi said to the ducks, and with that the crew headed off towards the Sandora river, waving to Vivi as they left.

* * *

Kia followed Zoro up the gangplank, making sure she stayed away from Bon Clay so he didn't have the ability to clone her- though she couldn't have explained why. She headed down to the girl's room, unpacking all her new clothes in the closet. She put a couple of outfits out on the bed, as if deciding what to wear, but these were the clothes for Robin, so she wanted to make it easy for her to find.

Hearing a yell, Kia made her way back on deck, wondering where Robin had been hiding. She looked around, seeing that Bon Clay's ship was now beside theirs, and Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were all dancing around the deck with Bon Clay.

It didn't take long for Nami to get everyone sailing, and they made their way downriver. As they reached the open water, they found several Navy ships practically on top of them and from every direction. With a BOOM, something flew from a ship's cannon towards the Merry. Luffy went to bounce it back, but deflated his gum-gum balloon when he saw it was a giant iron spear, not a cannonball. It sunk into the Merry's hull, and Usopp screamed.

Usopp and Chopper started running for the stairs, and Kia stopped Usopp, explaining that she would help Chopper, and that he needed to stay and man the cannon, since the others wouldn't be able to protect the ship as well as they normally could. He agreed finally, but he didn't like it.

Kia ran downstairs, calling for Chopper, and joining him. They couldn't help but stay busy, as spear after spear crashed into the ship creating holes. Chopper ran up to the deck to yell at the others that they couldn't take much more. Kia didn't see him for awhile, but she kept working, knowing that Bon Clay was proving his friendship by being a decoy for them.

Once the yelling stopped, she put down the hammer and nails, and headed up. She could see that they were at the East port, and everyone was looking for Vivi.

"That was Vivi's voice," Zoro said.

"It's the broadcast from Alubarna," Sanji said. "She's not coming."

"No way!" Luffy pouted. "That was just someone pretending to be Vivi!"

"We'd better go," Nami added quietly. "It's past noon already.

"No! She's coming!" Luffy insisted. "We just need to go ashore and look for her!"

"Ahh! The Navy!" Usopp shouted from the the other side of the ship.

"Set sail! Take the helm!" Nami called out, and Luffy grumbled.

"YOU GUYS!"

Everyone turned, able to see Vivi and Karoo, waving wildly.

"I knew it!" Luffy cheered, as the others started grinning and cheering.

"I CAME TO SAY GOODBYE!"

The cheering stopped, and everyone deflated. Kia walked closer, straining to hear her, but then her voice was clear through the broadcast megaphones.

"Thank you for everything! I want to continue the journey with you… but when it comes down to it… I LOVE THIS KINGDOM! SO I CAN'T GO! BUT WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, WILL YOU STILL SAY I'M PART OF YOUR CREW?!"

Luffy was smiling now, as he understood that this was what Vivi had to do to make her own dream come true. "SOMEDAY WE'LL-"

He broke off as Nami covered his mouth, explaining how confirming their friendship in front of Vivi would be a problem for her. They all turned around, and since Kia was leaning against the mast watching the scene, she could see the sadness on their faces as they turned away from Vivi.

"This sucks," Luffy grumbled. "I want to tell her she'll always be part of our crew!"

"She knows," Usopp said. He stuck his arm out to Luffy, showing the large X drawn there. "We all still have our marks- the symbols of our friendship. She has one too, so she knows."

"That's it! Everyone! Show Vivi your marks!"

Luffy immediately punched his left hand in the air, and Nami and Usopp were quick to follow. Chopper jumped up on the railing looking up to ensure his mark could be seen between his antlers. Zoro and Sanji were last, as each were wearing long sleeves. Zoro merely pushed his out of the way, joining the crew with a shrug, and Sanji followed after he unbuttoned his cuffs, taking care of his clothes even in his haste.

Kia was enjoying the moment, it had always been one of her favorites, her eyes sweeping from one side to the other. Landing on Zoro's face, she saw he was giving her a stern glare, and after a second of confusion, she realized she was supposed to be in line with them. She rushed over, and Zoro made room next to Chopper for her, and she threw her arm up to show her mark as well.

They stood there for awhile, not realizing how far they getting away from the shore. Zoro looked around, and finally put his arm down. "Looks like we lost the Navy," he said. Looking back, he gave a look of surprise. Kia turned and saw the rest of the crew sitting in misery, crying.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded of them.

"WE MISS VIVI!" they all shouted back with a sniffle.

"It's your own fault," Zoro said, and Kia raised her own eyebrow at that. "You shouldn't have given her the choice, and just kidnapped her."

"Barbarian!"

"Mean!"

"Moss head."

"Three sword style."

"Wait Luffy, that's not an insult…" Usopp corrected.

"Oh… four sword style."

"I give up," Usopp said, defeated.

"It's okay guys, he misses her too, he's just got to be macho," Kia said with a smirk, and Zoro glared at her.

Before he could retort, the door below decks opened. "Finally. I thought you'd never leave that oversized sandbox."

Everyone reacted instantly except for Luffy and Kia. She watched Robin walk out onto the deck, pleased that Robin had chosen one of the outfits she had laid out, long pants and a tank top, with a small bolero style jacket.

"How long have you been on board?" Nami demanded.

"Oh, quite a while actually. I was below deck reading a bit, took a nap, and a shower. I borrowed these clothes. Are they yours?" Robin replied calmly, pulling out a deck chair from the storage room.

"Uh… no, they're not." Nami looked over at Kia, and Robin's gaze followed hers. When Robin spotted her, Kia gave a little wave and a smile.

"Well then, thank you… Kiana, wasn't it?"

"That's me," Kia replied. "Feel free to keep them, I was going to have to do some heavy alterations otherwise." It was apparent, as they stood there talking, she was a good six inches taller, and it seemed like it was all leg.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Kia, you know her?" Luffy asked, and the rest of the crew were glaring, with the exception of Sanji of course.

"Yes, she took me to the capital while you were fighting Crocodile, right after we were pulled off the mover crab," Kia said, and several of them nodded, remembering.

They were quiet, and Robin took the opportunity to speak. "Monkey D. Luffy… I can't stop thinking about what you did to me."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Sanji hollered at Luffy, upset at the thought of something bad happening to a pretty woman.

"I didn't do anything, don't lie!" Luffy retorted.

"Take responsibility. You made me suffer a great deal."

"Luffy…" Sanji threatened, and Luffy grumbled at the trouble Robin was causing him.

"What do you want, anyway?" he asked.

Robin put her chin in her hand and smiled. "I want to join your crew."


	33. Chapter 33- Travel and Random Encounters

"Island up ahead! Can you guys hear me?" Nami shouted from above the crew.

Kia could hear the guys- Luffy running and shouting, Zoro and Sanji fighting… same as every morning. Since Nami was on watch, she got to use the bed, which meant she had slept well. She sat up and looked around, but Robin was nowhere in sight.

As she looked though, she realized they hadn't cleaned up in a while. It was hard to say how long it had been, after all the rush and excitement of Alabasta, then Robin joining. And if she thought the girls' room needing cleaning, the boys room was probably disgusting, though Sanji usually kept it from being a total nightmare.

Once they reached the island, they all piled out and onto the shore. __Though, it looked like Robin was still keeping to herself__ , Kia noticed. She shook it off, and strode forward to stand by Nami.

"Nothing seems out of the ordinary," she said.

"No, it looks pretty quiet," Nami replied.

"Hey, Nami!"

She looked up, just as a pineapple shaped fruit came dropping down in front of them. Nami picked it up, looking it over, as Sanji jumped down from the tree nearby.

"These fruits will help replenish our food supply, and there are lots of them! I'm sure there are other plants we can use as well."

"Great!" Nami replied. "Then it will be your job to find what we can use as food."

"If we're handing out jobs," Kia said, "I'd like to stay and clean today. This is the first chance we'd had to recuperate since Alabasta."

"Good idea Kia, you sure you don't mind?" At Kia's head shake, Nami continued. "Then I think we should leave someone on watch since you'll be below decks."

Kia shrugged, since that wouldn't bother her. Nami walked over and picked up a small stick, breaking it into four small pieces. "As for the rest of you," she said to the boys without jobs, "here." She held out her hand with what looked like four sticks of the same size.

Chopper took one, looking at it in confusion, while Nami kept talking. "The three shortest will spend the day collecting the food that Sanji finds, while the one with the longest stick will have the duty of staying on watch. We don't want anything happening to the ship while we're busy."

"And when exactly did you become the captain?" Zoro asked angrily.

"Someone has to do it," Nami retorted, as Luffy held up the three sticks he grabbed.

"I got the most, so I win!" he said.

"Do I really need to explain further?" Nami asked.

"Not at all…" the Zoro, Usopp and Chopper answered, while Luffy laughed and Kia snickered.

"Wait, but what's Kia doing?" Luffy asked as Kia handed them the baskets they used for collecting supplies.

"I'm cleaning the ship, and doing laundry," Kia answered, and she turned to walk back to the ship with Chopper, who had gotten the long stick. "Oh, and that means everyone takes a bath tonight."

Luffy's face pulled down, but then he was happy again. "Everyone is going to take a bath with me? That will be fun!"

"No, you idiot…" Kia could hear Nami answer, while Sanji said, "Oooh, that __would__ be fun- without you guys, of course."

* * *

The day went by rather quickly, as there was plenty of work to do. Kia completed the laundry first, so that it could spend the afternoon drying in the sun. Then she tackled the boys room, which was not as horrible as she feared. As she finished the bedrooms and went into the kitchen, she could see Robin and Chopper leaving with one of the fresh water barrels, so she took the opportunity to clean the storage room/ doctor's office. Besides, the kitchen was spotless, so she didn't need to touch it.

 _ _Point in favor for Sanji,__ she thought. __Considering how spotless the kitchen was, the other guys must be really messy for the boys room to look like it had. Either that, or Sanji only picked up after them enough to make it tolerable.__

After putting the laundry away, Kia swabbed the deck, and took a shower, then made a bath for Luffy. He was more likely to get in if it was all ready for him. She walked to the deck, brushing out damp hair and called for Luffy, Zoro and Usopp.

Zoro and Usopp were practically dragging Luffy, but they made it into the bathroom. It wasn't that they didn't trust Luffy, but no one wanted him to accidentally drown. Kia had put clean clothes and towels inside, so she just waited outside of the door for their dirty ones. Luffy came to the door to hand them over, and after just a glance, she averted her eyes.

"Thanks Luffy," she said, turning quickly. She could hear Zoro hit him, and yell about being naked in front of girls. Kia chuckled, as she thought of Zoro giving Luffy __the talk.__

She washed the rest of the clothes she had been given and hung them up, finishing just as Sanji walked by, his arms full.

"Need help Sanji?" Kia asked.

"No thank you, Kia darling. But we are eating down on the beach tonight, so I can escort you there."

"Oh, okay. You go ahead, I need to grab some things." Kia went back to the bedroom, grabbing a notebook and a pencil. She was in the middle of her drawing of Crocodile-the-villain that she had the idea to do from before, and wanted to finish it.

Kia grabbed a chair and left the ship, moving over the sand and adjusting her destination when she saw Robin sitting at a small table, reading. Kia moved over, placing her chair down and sitting. Robin glanced up from her book and gave Kia a small smile.

"What are you reading?" Kia asked, as she got herself comfortable.

"It is called the Rainbow Mist," Robin answered. "A series of books describing a phenomenon that I am uncertain is fact or fiction."

"What does the author state it is?" Kia asked, setting her notebook down.

"Fact. It is strange that I have never heard of it before, in all of my travels, but then again, anything is possible."

Kia looked over at the glowing fire. "Don't you want to be closer to the fire?" she asked. Robin looked up and then over at her single candle.

"I am fine here. I can't remember the last time I was able to simply relax and read. It's something I enjoy very much."

"I guess I can understand that," Kia said, patting her notebook.

"What is that?" Robin asked curiously. Kia gave an embarrassed shrug, not certain if she wanted to show it off. "Is that… Crocodile?" Robin asked with a smirk, as she leaned over to peer at the page.

"Well, yeah. This moment is stuck in my head, and I needed to draw it. While I don't like him, he does have a certain bad guy appeal."

"Bad guy appeal?" Robin repeated with a laugh.

"Yeah," Kia defended. "I'm sure you have met plenty of so-called bad guys that were just pathetic. Baroque Works had plenty of them. But Crocodile, he's got… I don't know… the arrogance, the looks, the brain… everything a true bad guy needs to be effective. Though he didn't know when to step back," Kia added with a smirk of her own.

"If he had known what you thought, he probably would have kept you around," Robin teased. "He enjoyed people that could look at the big picture, especially when they would agree with his own estimation of himself."

"Yeah, well. He was still a jerk. Most people who want power are."

Robin was silent after that, looking over at the fire as the rest of the crew gathered to eat. "You should join them."

"Huh?" Kia asked, following her gaze. "Yeah, WE should."

She gave that small, sad smile of hers again. "I appreciate the thought, but I prefer to be alone. You should join your friends." She said it with finality, and went back to reading her book.

Kia sighed, but decided not to push her. She knew Robin would get there eventually. Kia stood and walked over to the fire, where someone had cut down a tree and placed four large logs around the fire to sit on. Chopper was sitting alone, so Kia went to join him. Usopp and Luffy were on their left, and Sanji and Zoro on their right. The fourth was empty, as Nami was inspecting their day's labors.

"Please explain why you weren't able to gather even a single piece of fruit," she demanded of Luffy and Usopp.

"Um, that's a good question… " Luffy said as he ate. "What's your answer?"

"I told you, I was being attacked… by a huge condor that was trying to claw my face off!" Usopp's theatrics had him overbalancing and falling on his back over the log he was sitting on. "I tried my best, but… I guess it wasn't good enough… and now… I'm dead," he gave a death scene complete with ketchup star to look like blood.

Chopper and Kia stood and clapped, and she yelled, "Bravo!" to which Luffy laughed.

Nami walked over behind Zoro and saw his basket was overflowing with fruit. "I have to say, I'm impressed, Zoro," she complimented. "Since you're so competent, you should gather fruit for Luffy and Usopp too."

Zoro choked on his food, spitting his mouthful out on the sand. "What?!" he cried.

"Oh I just love how adorable Nami is…" Sanji said wistfully. "Especially when she's yelling at everyone!"

"Just shut up, you moron!" Zoro snapped at him.

"You want to go, moss head?!" Sanji retorted, and they glared at each other.

"Calm down you two!" Nami said, pushing them away from the other, and making them fall over. The rest of the crew started laughing as they sat back up, sullen. They all went back to eating, and Nami took a plate to Robin, then finally sat down with her own dinner.

Kia finished her food, and moved down to sit in the sand, using the log as a back rest, and pulled out her notebook. She continued sketching as the others talked.

"What is that, Kia?" Chopper asked after awhile, looking over her shoulder. "Aah! Crocodile!"

That got everyone's attention, and they all looked over in question, and Kia felt a little embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. There was just this moment, where he looked just like what I always pictured evil pirates to be, and I wanted to remember it."

"Can I see?" Nami asked, as she came and sat by her friend. Kia held out the picture so she could see, but she just snatched the book from her hands. Luffy and Usopp came to stand behind her, and even Sanji and Zoro were curious enough to scoot closer. "I didn't know you were such a good artist, Kia." Nami said as she looked at the picture.

"Yeah Kia," Luffy said while eating whatever he could snatch from the others' discarded plates. "That looks like a picture! But you know… not…"

Kia couldn't help but smile even as her cheeks heated, especially as Usopp said that she was almost as good an artist as he was.

Nami flipped back to the beginning of the book, looking at the drawings Kia had done of each of them, some normally, some in different outfits, or with different hairstyles.

"Is this me?" Nami asked, pointing to a page.

"Yep, though obviously a little different," Kia answered. It was Nami's look after the timeskip that she had drawn.

"Hmm, the long hair looks pretty good though," she mused, "though it would take forever to get that long. Plus, with the jeans and shoes, it looks like I'm just walking around all exposed," she said with a laugh to Kia.

"Ooh! Let me see Nami!" Sanji cried as he pushed Luffy and Usopp out of the way. "Kia my sweet, that's fantastic! Can I keep it?"

"No way," Nami said as she turned the page. "These are Kia's." Nami looked at the next picture of Sanji, of just his face, a huge grin, his hair pulled back, but his left hand with cigarette in front of the left side of his face, so that his eye was still blocked. Granted, they had all seen his face, and really, it was just a quirk that had his hair seeming to cover one side all the time, but Kia enjoyed it.

"Kia, these are amazing!" Luffy shouted, as Sanji was swooning over having his picture done by her. "Is there one of me? Is there, is there?"

"Uh…" Nami flipped another page, and there was Zoro, with long hair, samurai style robe, and that fierce look he gets when he's excited for a fight.

"Whoa!" Luffy and Usopp shouted, and Sanji sneered. "Zoro looks badass!"

"I think that's all…" Kia stammered, as Nami flipped the page again, then glanced over at the girl with a smug smile.

"THIS one is very good…" she said, and Kia could feel her face turn beet red. It was two sketches of Ace, one of his face with a smile and surrounded by flames; and another with him decked out in a black suit, barefoot and wearing a rogue-ish smirk.

"Yeah, well… that's all there is!" Kia said loudly and grabbed the notebook back.

"Why do you have Ace in there, Kia?" Chopper asked innocently, and she searched for an answer as Nami struggled not to laugh.

"Um, because! Ace is Luffy's brother, and we're all like a family, so it's kinda like Ace is my brother too!" It was the worst possible explanation, and the looks from everyone but Luffy and Chopper let her know that.

"Oh! That's true!" Chopper said.

"If Ace is your brother, does that mean, I'm your brother too?" Luffy asked, picking his nose.

"Luffy, I wouldn't want anyone else for a brother," Kia said in complete honesty, and Luffy cheered.

"That's awesome! I always wanted one, and Ace will be so happy to have a sister!" he shouted.

"I don't think happy is the word…" Nami said quietly and Kia shushed her.

"Can I see more pictures?" Luffy asked, and Kia relented, but refused to give up her hold on the notebook. She'd have to be more careful, since she hadn't thought, and sketched accurate pictures that hadn't happened yet.

Nami's looks were easy to write off as imagination, but the sketch of Usopp had his new weapon, and the one of Luffy had his scar, and Kia couldn't show those. She flipped through the pages, getting past the ones she couldn't show, and landed on one of her and her three sisters.

"Who's that?" Sanji asked, suddenly interested again.

"That's Kia!" Chopper said as he pointed to the sketch of her.

"That's Reese," Luffy said with a grin, pointing.

"Oh, I see…" Sanji replied. "And there is Miss Ashley. You're all so beautiful Kia!"

"So the tallest one must be Dru," Nami said, ignoring Sanji and studying the drawing. "I guess I expected you all to look more alike," she said.

"Seeing my parents kind of ties us all together," Kia answered. "We each have pieces of them."

"But your smiles are all the same," Usopp noted. "Even the shape, as well as the dimples in your cheeks. I bet if we only saw their smile, we'd have no idea which one of you it was."

"That's true," Kia said, turning the page.

"Hey, there's one ripped out here," Nami noted, and Kia nodded. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"No, it wasn't, I left it for Vivi," she said softly, and the others were quiet as they remembered their friend. "It was a drawing of all of us together, so she could remember us."

On the next page was the picture of Crocodile, and the following was one of Robin, though Kia drew her with several arms all around her body in a circle.

"What… is that?"

Kia turned to Nami after she turned to the next picture and shrugged. "It's a house,"

"I can see that, Kia, but can you explain? Why is it sitting on top of giant chicken feet?"

"Huh?" the boys said, trying to get a closer look.

"It's from stories my Mom used to tell us. I had a bad dream the other night, and so I drew this, to get it out of my head."

"A story?!" Luffy's eyes widened in excitement. "Tell us, tell us!"

Kia chucked, "It's not that kind of story, it was more something to get us to behave, like the boogeyman."

"Boogeyman?!" Luffy was practically bouncing up and down. "Tell it!"

"You don't have a boogeyman?" Kia asked Nami, and she looked puzzled as she shook her head. "You know, stories that parents tell their children… like don't do that, or the boogeyman will get you?"

"No, but some people tell stories like that about pirates."

"Oh, I see. Well, back home, there weren't any bad pirates, so we had other stories. Most people believed that they were just stories… but the tales were passed down, from parent to child, for hundreds of years. No one could say for certain that they were untrue, because any time a child went missing, the elders were quick to say that it was the boogeyman."

"Scary…" Chopper said cuddling next to Kia.

"Cool…" Luffy breathed out, watching her intently.

"In every place, the boogeyman had a different name, but it all came back to the same person. My mom used to say that it was actually an old witch, who was called Boney Legs."

"Boney Legs?" Usopp said skeptically. "Not very scary."

"In other lands, she was also called Baba Yaga, but I always knew her as Boney Legs. She lives in a hut in the forest, a hut that stood on giant chicken feet. She was old, but very strong, and she lived in an enchanted area of the forest, where the animals could talk, and everything looked so beautiful, that children who found it, couldn't help but go inside."

"But… they shouldn't, right?" Chopper asked.

"No, they shouldn't," Kia agreed. "Because Boney Legs would grab them with her huge hands that had claws instead of fingers. And they would see she had sharp teeth made out of iron, just before she ate them." Kia reached over and dug her nails into Nami's arm, causing her to scream.

"AAAHH!" Chopper and Usopp screamed, and Luffy was hit with Usopp's flailing arm and knocked back.

"So yeah," Kia continued normally. "Mom told me never to go into a stranger's house, because I might find myself eaten by Boney Legs."

"Awesome!" Luffy cheered, still on his back in the sand.

Nami gave Kia a punch on the shoulder, and she yelled "Ow!"

"Serves you right," Nami said. "If I wake up with a nightmare, you're going to get it!" Kia smiled at her, and rubbed Chopper's back, since he had launched himself into her lap.

"Don't worry, it's just a story," Kia whispered to him.

"It… it is?" he asked tentatively.

"Absolutely. That's why it's fun to be scared with a story, because after, you know that it's just a story."

"Oh…" he said, then looked up at her with a grin. "Yeah, that was kind of fun!"

"Fun my butt…" Usopp muttered.

* * *

The next few days were fairly calm, mostly spent fishing, though there was a misadventure with a traveling delivery/salesman who was travelling inside a huge sea snail. It turned out well, after the man pulled out several things for them to try, Nami asked about paper, and he offered the crew several blank books that were large like sketch pads, as well as a ream of 1000 year paper.

"Oh!" Kia said, "these are amazing!"

"Yes, this paper is perfect!" Nami added as she looked at it. They then glanced at each others' focus and nodded.

"You should definitely get that!" they said in unison, then started laughing.

The salesman gave a smug look, and then tearfully told us how rare and expensive the items were.

"Okay, but how much to sell us these, right here, right now?" Kia said in response.

"Yes, there's no price I wouldn't be willing to pay," Nami added with a smile,

"WHAT?!" Luffy, Zoro and Usopp shouted.

"This is the same Nami, that would rather count money than eat?!" Usopp said in disbelief.

"The same Nami that loves money more than life itself?" Zoro added.

"And she'll pay anything?" Luffy finished.

"You guys may be overreacting," Sanji said with a roll of his eyes.

"Very well, then… all together these would normally cost… 30 million berries. But for you today, you can have it all for only, 28 million!" He smiled at them, as if it was the best favor he had ever done for anyone, ever.

"Hmm, can't you go any lower?" Kia asked with a bat of her lashes.

"All right, 27.5 million then."

"How about 1 million?" Kia countered.

"27.4 million- just for you," he suggested with a wink.

"Can't you go any lower?" Nami asked, grabbing his hands.

"Sold!" Sanji said, stepping between them, and giving the girls his dashing pose.

"You have that kind of money?" Zoro asked in disbelief.

"Nope!" Sanji moved quickly, throwing rope all around Luffy and tying him up tight. "But if we turn Luffy into the marines, we'll have enough, plus some left over," he said.

"What?!" Luffy yelled, struggling to get out.

"Sorry Luffy, but Nami and Kia deserve this sacrifice."

"No they do not!"

"Wait…" the salesman said. "Did you say Luffy? As in Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Yep, that's me, weird guy… C'mon Sanji, just untie me!"

Sanji shook his head, "Sorry, can't do it."

"Aah! There's a real pirate flag up there! I just remembered that I have a really important… uh, appointment! Have a nice day!" With that, the salesman jumped into his sea snail, and was gone off the side of the ship.

"Was it something we said?" Luffy asked, as Sanji freed him.

"Perhaps he was afraid of you and your friends," Robin said from her chair. "You are a wanted man after all."

"He left all his stuff here!" Zoro said, scratching his head.

"Yay!" Nami and Kia shouted, grabbing their respective prizes.

"Thanks Luffy! You scared him into giving it to us for free!" Kia said with a grin.

"Shi-shi-shi… no problem!


	34. Chapter 34- Dru's New Mission

Running as fast as she could, dodging the bullets that were being shot in their direction, Dru was trying her best to keep up with Sabo, even though she was sure he was holding back on speed for her benefit.

"I guess that means no, to our offer," she said and Sabo burst out laughing.

"Yes, I would definitely take trying to kill us as a no," he said as he chuckled. "But we made the attempt, and that is what is important. Remember, we don't simply liberate people, we-"

"Help them liberate themselves. Yes, I remember."

Sabo smiled, as he suddenly pulled her onto a cross street, and then into an alley. He held a finger to her lips, ensuring that she would stay silent, and they waited as the mob behind them ran past, then they started walking in the opposite direction as if they hadn't a care in the world.

 _ _Puru-puru-puru…__

"Hello?" Sabo pulled out his transponder snail and answered.

"Hi Sabo!" Koala said. "Are you having fun without me?" Dru grabbed the receiver, because it was Koala, and also because she knew Sabo hated chitchat on the transponder snail.

"It's never fun without you, Koala!" she answered cheerily. "What's the news?"

"Since you two are the closest, Leader wants you to check something out. Recon only."

"Give us the details," Sabo said as he took the receiver back. He nodded along as Koala spoke, then said "Okay," and hung up.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to say goodbye," Dru said with a chuckle.

"Eh?" he responded. "What do you mean?"

She gave him a bewildered look. __How could he not know what I meant?__ "You know, if you just hang up on someone, they may think something is wrong… or that you're rude."

"Oh… I see."

They walked on in silence, heading to their small boat. They were near enough of their next destination that they would be able to simply follow the log pose, which was good, since they didn't have an eternal pose. It made sense why they were given this recon mission. Climbing aboard the boat, they prepared to set sail.

They had been underway for a bit, and had settled down on the deck to eat lunch, when Sabo asked, "Dru, did I ever tell you about my first mission?"

She thought back, and answered, "No, not that I can recall. Did Koala tell me about it?"

He smiled, "I doubt it. It wasn't something anyone would normally talk about, being that it was an utter failure."

Her eyebrow lifted as she looked at him. "Failure? I find that hard to believe," she said honestly. Sabo was what she would call the "golden boy" back home. Not just because he was blond, but because he could do no wrong.

He was always in the right place, at the right time, and when everyone else gave up, he would find a way to accomplish the mission. There was plenty of reason why he was second in command, and the idea that he failed in something was hard to fathom.

"It's true, though I didn't know it at the time it happened." He paused to eat some more. "Have you ever heard of a black transponder snail?"

She racked her brain, but failed to come up with anything. "I feel as though I should have, but nothing is coming to mind."

"They are very hard to find, because they are rare, but mostly because the Navy pays very high prices for them."

"Why? What makes them special?" she asked, curiously.

"They don't make calls like other transponder snails, instead they are able to intercept calls that are being made, allowing the person to hear other people's calls."

Her eyes went wide. "What? Really?"

He nodded, lost in memory.

She stayed quiet, until he shook his head, and looked back at her. "They do not have a long range, but I am certain you can understand the effects of such a thing on covert missions, such as ours."

Suddenly, she understood where this had come from. Sabo didn't stay on the snail longer than he absolutely had to, and he tried hard not to give names, or specific information. True, some of that was necessary, but… "I see," was what she said in response.

He smiled back at her, glad he didn't need to elaborate. "If the wind stays with us, we should be able to make it within the next day or so."

She settled back against the railing. "So then, who's turn is it?"

"Yours," he said, pulling his hat down over his eyes to take a nap. __Guess I am on watch duty,__ she thought with a smile.

* * *

"Excuse me sir, we're looking for a man named Koza?" Dru asked the elderly gentleman in front of her. Nearly a week had passed since they sailed to Alabasta, and they finally had a lead on the leader of the rebel army. Sabo was certain he could give them some insight into the coup that nearly destroyed the kingdom, or at least point them toward someone that could.

"Visitors, is it?" he asked her, and she nodded. "From quite a distance too, if I'm not mistaken."

She smiled and nodded again. "You are correct, we have been travelling for some time now," she answered vaguely. That was lesson one from Sabo- don't lie, but don't give information away either.

"We're looking for a man named Koza, and were told he lives here in Yuba," Dru repeated, keeping her smile on her face. "We're hoping he could help us."

"How about a trade?" the man asked shrewdly. "I'll take you to Koza, if you help me carry my things home?"

Sabo was quick to pick up some of the heavier sacks. "You have a deal," he said. "Please lead the way." Dru grabbed some of the tools that were near the man, and introduced herself. "Thank you so much. My name is Dru, and this is Sabo."

"My name is Toto, it is a pleasure to meet you. Though I must say, your timing is quite interesting. People came around for days, asking questions of everyone in the kingdom. I don't know what else you could learn."

Sabo smiled, "I'm certain that's true, though I think we may ask different questions."

"And we prefer to hear things for ourselves," Dru added, causing to Toto to reassess them.

"I'm not sure he will be happy to greet you, but I will take you to him," he said.

* * *

"I'm not interested," Koza said, for the fifth time in as little minutes. Dru could see that Sabo was just as frustrated as she was, and looking to him, Dru shrugged. They would need to explain why they were here, but she would let Sabo make that call.

"From everyone we talked to, we got a picture of you Koza, a picture of an honest, hardworking man that wanted the best for his country, and everything I see here, confirms that," Sabo said, fiddling with his hat that was in his hands. "I don't share this lightly, so I would ask that do not share what I will tell you with others."

Koza's interest seemed piqued, and he nodded in a go ahead gesture to Sabo.

"We are part of an group that wants to make a difference in the world, who wants to stop tyrants from leading people to ruin, who wants to see the government care for its people, who wants those that are in power to not be corrupt and vile. We heard of the problems here in Alabasta, and that there was some differing accounts of what happened here."

"We are merely seeking information as to the truth, so that we can determine if our help is needed here or not," Dru added. "We are spread thin, but we never turn those in need, away."

Koza looked over at Toto, the two of them having some sort of silent conversation, then they turned back. "We are leaving in two days to go to the capital. We need to meet with the king and report on the welfare of this part of the kingdom," Toto said.

"If you truly wish to help, then there you will find the people to ask," Koza said slowly, still looking uncertain about the visitors.

"I don't blame you for your caution," Dru said, "and we welcome the chance to help."

"Should we wait and travel with you, then?" Sabo asked.

Koza nodded. "There are not many bandits, but it is not unheard of," he answered. "We will get you a room at the hotel next door to stay in the meantime."

"Uh, two rooms if that is all right," Sabo said, embarrassed. "We are merely colleagues."

"Of course, my mistake."

Dru glanced over at Sabo with a smile, but kept silent as they were walked to the hotel and helped to procure rooms.

* * *

Two days of waiting would normally not be a problem, however since they were keeping a low profile, Dru and Sabo couldn't do most of the things they normally would, like train. However, they wanted to gather whatever information on the country that they could, so they spent most of their time in the town. They would spend hours shopping, though they hardly bought anything, but did a lot of talking to people, whether store owners, workers, or customers. They spoke of how wonderfully the country was recovering, and most were willing to speak of that success.

They often heard the names of the king and his daughter, and how their love for the country and its people was their inspiration.

"I don't get it," Dru said once to Sabo. "If the royal family is so wonderful, why were the people rebelling in the first place?"

Sabo was confused as well. "It seems we are missing a piece to this puzzle. We know the former warlord, Crocodile, was responsible for the coup, yet we've not heard of his involvement either."

"Perhaps they are simply focusing on the positive, but I don't believe that is the case here," Dru said softly.

"I agree," he replied.

Soon enough they were on their way to the capital, travelling with Toto and Koza. While the two pairs didn't trust the other completely, they were kind and courteous, giving each other the benefit of the doubt, and thinking they would find the truth once they reached the palace.

It seemed that Toto and Koza were well known in the palace, because they were ushered through several places with just a nod. The guards were not slacking by any means, so that was the only conclusion Dru could reach. She grabbed Sabo's arm, looking at him, and asking quietly if they were going to share who they were, and he looked uncertain.

They were led into the throne room, and followed Toto's example of bowing deeply to the royals, and Koza slightly less, though it seemed that there was no lack of respect.

"Toto, Koza! How fare you? And how fares Yuba?" the king's voice boomed out. The princess however, merely came forward, and gave Toto a hug, then turning to Koza, placed her hand on his arm and asked. "Koza? How are you healing?"

"Fine, princess. You needn't worry about me," he answered with a smile. Dru was a little taken aback, as it was the first time since she met him, that he didn't seem guarded.

"Who are your friends?" the king asked, as he too stepped forward to greet them.

"I'll let them introduce themselves," Koza said. "I'm not entirely sure that I believe them, but if it is true, then I knew you would want to speak with them."

The princess and the king both turned to the visitors, curiosity and suspicion warring on their faces. Dru stepped forward, hoping that the skills she had learned would serve her better here than the last island they visited.

"Your majesty, princess, this is Sabo, and my name is Dru. We've come today-" Dru stopped as the princess let out a gasp, and everyone turned to look at her.

The princess stepped forward, looking at Dru with scrutiny, and asked, "What did you say your name was?"

"Uh, Dru," she answered, feeling like a bug under a microscope. "Dru Cooper."

"Oh my," the princess said, then threw her arms around Dru in a hug. Her arms pinned to her side, she turned to Sabo in panic. She was NOT prepared for this in any way, shape, or form.

"Um, your highness?" Sabo asked. "I'm uncertain what it happening here…" he said tactfully.

"Oh, of course! I'm so sorry!" she replied, releasing Dru with a tearful laugh. "Does the name Kiana mean anything to you?" she asked with a smile.

Dru's jaw dropped, and she felt a little dizzy. "You know Kia? Is she here?" Dru asked looking all around.

"Kia?" she heard Koza say, and she whirled to him.

"You know her too?" she demanded. "How? Where is she?" Dru was starting to get frustrated, at the lack of answers, and Sabo helped hold her steady.

"It sounds as if you know Dru's sister," he said calmly, and the four other people nodded at Sabo, all of them smiling, and the princess's eyes still shining with tears.

"She was here for a short time, with friends. They were moving on, but since I was staying we decided to have her write a letter in case any of her sisters came to Alabasta… " she trailed off, choking up. "We never really thought it would happen though. It's like some kind of miracle!"

"Can… can I see it?" Dru asked, excited at the thought, though let down that Kia was already gone.

"Of course! Please, all of you, come! We'll have dinner and tell Dru all we can remember about Kia's time here!" the princess exclaimed.

* * *

Dru could hardly believe it, but it was definitely a letter from Kia. The letter didn't say much, and Dru could understand, especially since Kia didn't really have a lot of hope that anyone would see it, but she mentioned not only her travels, but where Ash and Reese were sent, and how she heard about them.

It blew her mind to think that one lone pirate crew was able to meet all three of her sisters, and make it so that she would have this letter, to know that they are all right, and that they are all doing what they had agreed to do. After hearing about the fighting here in Alabasta, Dru realized she need to step up her own training. __I can't rely on Sabo forever, but I can utilize his wealth of knowledge and skill,__ she thought.

Dru and Sabo lingered even after dinner, as Vivi recounted her time sailing with the Straw Hat pirates, Kia's new crew. She told them of meeting Kia for the first time, and how their captain insisted that she come with them, to belong. Vivi may not have understood how big of a deal that would be for Kia, but Dru did. Kia held others at a distance, ever since she had been hurt by those she thought were her friends back home.

"This Luffy sounds like a pretty amazing guy, especially for a pirate," Dru commented, and the others nodded.

"He is definitely someone special," Toto said, telling about his meeting with Luffy and his crew. The king then told of his fight with Crocodile, how he risked his life for the country because Vivi was his friend.

"Are you like Kia, Dru?" Vivi asked suddenly, and Dru looked back at her in confusion.

"I suppose so? At least a little, I mean, we are sisters."

"I never got to ask her, because every time I tried, I was afraid of how to word it, but I really want to know how she knew things."

"Knew things?" Dru asked, again in confusion.

"Knew things?" Sabo repeated.

"Yes! There were times, where she just knew things, things that no one told her, and I couldn't seem to figure it out!"

"Uh… such as?" Dru asked, thinking that perhaps Kia had shared something about their home, or technology that didn't exist in the new place.

"Well… oh! Like the time she knew Zoro's name, without having ever met him before! Or how she knows all about devil fruits, or the government, or the warlords- even though no one told her. It was strange, she never asked questions, and we never had to explain anything to Kia… ever. And I guess, I wondered if the same was true for you, Dru."

Dru squirmed a little in her seat, as she felt everyone's eyes on her, looking for an explanation. "I don't know what to tell you Vivi, but that's never been the case with Kia before, and definitely not for me. I'm always asking questions… there's so much I just don't know."

Vivi looked disappointed, but recovered quickly. "It was just a hunch anyway, so no problem. Sometimes coincidences are just that… coincidences."

* * *

It seemed like two different people that travelled back to Yuba with them, as Toto and Koza no longer doubted them. They were free with information, and explained all about Crocodile and his plan to use an ancient weapon to go against the world government. It was startling to hear how easily he played both sides against each other, and Dru knew Leader would be most interested to hear it.

When she and Sabo finally were taking their leave of Yuba, Koza stopped Sabo, and apologized again for his mistrust. Sabo was quick to brush it aside, knowing that caution is essential. But then Koza surprised him.

"Kia saved my life that day, and I never really got to repay her for that," he said, looking at his feet. "If she were here, she'd want to say something to you, so I am going to do that for her." He looked at Dru, and then back at Sabo. "Make sure you take care of her, okay?" he said, nodding at Dru. "They all need to find each other again, and after meeting you, Dru, I truly believe you will."

Sabo promised that he would look after her, as if she was his own sister, and that satisfied Koza. They said their farewells, and set sail back to headquarters.

It seemed as if in no time at all, they were giving their report to Dragon- and Koala, who had joined them before they entered his office. Dru had been right that he was interested in Crocodile's exploits, although he surprised her with how interested he was in the Straw Hat pirate crew. Dru even shared what Vivi had mentioned about Kia, and her strange knowledge, though Sabo gave Dru an odd look when she did.

In the very beginning, Dru had shared her entire story with both Dragon and Koala, because she knew she needed to trust somebody. While she did trust Sabo, it was something that she hadn't shared with him, mostly because it sounded crazy, but also because she didn't think he was ready to hear it.

So now, he was confused as to why she would share seemingly non-important details with their leader, but none of them explained. To change the subject Dru pulled out the letter she had gotten from Kia. She had known she should have left it, in case one of the others came to Alabasta, but instead, she simply wrote another note, and left that.

"Is there something in there you wanted to share?" Dragon asked Dru.

"It's more that what she said has left me with questions," Dru answered, looking sheepish. She was certain any day now, one of them would tell her to stop asking questions, since she always had more.

"Go ahead," he stated, leaning back in his chair.

"Thank you sir," she replied, and opened the letter. "She mentions a couple people who are currently hosting my other two sisters, and worded it as if I should know them. Vice Admiral Garp, and Dracule Mihawk… and my question is… are they safe with them?"

Dragon contemplated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, though I cannot say with certainty. Both men have a high code of honor, just differing views of right and wrong," he answered with a smirk. It was obviously a private joke, but Dru wished she was privy to it.

"That's good to hear, thank you. Then she says… here I'll just read it." Dru found the spot and started reading.

 _ _Be careful who you trust. There are of course, honorable people on both sides, but there are also those, especially those loyal to the World Government that destroy what they don't understand. People are not innocent until proven guilty here. Guilt is decided by those in power. Pick your battles, though it may be hard to do so, and be certain you can win or escape before you start. Most of all, avoid contact with any Celestial Dragons- at all cost.__

 _ _Eventually, the crew I sail with will have large bounties, I am certain. Learn who they are, so that when you cross paths, we'll be able to be reunited. This crew is determined to always return to each other.__

 _ _Something big is coming. The government will not stand idly by while pirates and revolutionaries escape its reach. They will find a way to start a fight, one that will have everyone choosing sides.__

 _ _I wish I could say more, tell you who to trust and who to avoid, but I can't be certain this won't be intercepted. With everything that is coming, my only advice is… learn haki.__

Dru stopped reading, and looked up.

"How could your sister possibly know what the government is planning? Or who to trust?" Sabo asked dismissively. "Is this what Vivi was talking about? Vague comments that make it seem as if she knows much more than she says?"

"I couldn't tell you," Dru replied. "But I have two requests," she said as she looked over to Dragon. "can I be informed of any wanted posters for the Straw Hat crew?"

"I am certain that that can be arranged," he answered, with a nod.

"Thank you. The second… well, you've told me about the Celestial Dragons," she said as she stood. "But, what is haki, and will you teach it to me?"


	35. Chapter 35- Ash and Reese Update

Ash followed Mihawk through the streets, not worried about losing him as she let her gaze wander over the stalls and store fronts. Wherever they went, the crowds parted before him, and she simply followed in his wake. If the people didn't recognize him, the sight of his giant sword was enough to have them backing away in fear or awe.

Of course, there were always times when other swordsmen wanted to try their skill against him, but it wasn't often that any caught his attention enough to actually fight. He could simply measure their skill by looking at them, and determined whether they were a waste of his time or not, and most were found lacking.

In the time since they left Shanks and his crew, her training had increased by leaps and bounds, and she knew it was because she had finally let go of her stubborn need to feel in control. He knew better than she did, and once she let him be in control of decisions involving her training, everything began to click. She knew she would never be the swordsman he was- not even close- but she would be stronger than most, and able to hold her own with the best.

A small rock came flying back, and hit her forehead, and she rubbed the spot, wincing. She looked forward to see Mihawk waiting for her, though his back was to her. This sort of thing had been happening for the past few days. He had spoken to her of his haki- the way he was able to perceive his opponents moves and intentions, and now they were working on building her haki, with no success. However Mihawk was much more stubborn than she was, and so they would continue.

Ash caught up quickly, and stood behind him waiting for direction. She smiled as she thought of the difference in their relationship in such a small amount of time. Her focus and discipline had become great enough that he no longer left her behind during his journeys, and she was constantly learning and marveling at the new things in the world she was seeing.

"Have you finished?" he asked, and she nodded. She had gotten the supplies they needed when they first arrived, and had just been following after him since. Sensing her nod, he took off, and she trailed behind as they made their way back to the boat, leaving the small island as quickly as they had come.

Later that day, Mihawk was navigating the ship, giving Ashley time to meditate, trying to use her haki in sensing things around them- the waves, the fish- anything. She could hear the flap of wings, the call of a bird- but knew that it was not haki, but her regular senses, so she kept her eyes closed and continued to work at it.

The next noises she heard didn't make sense, but she regained her focus, figuring she could question Mihawk about it later.

"Hmm…" she heard him murmur. "Two minor league pirates defeated one of the warlords? I bet this is causing a stir somewhere."

"Master?" she asked, unsure, with her eyes still closed.

"Look," he said, and she opened her eyes as a paper was thrown into her lap. She picked it up, noticing the wanted posters. One she easily recognized as Luffy's, though the amount had been changed from thirty million to … "One hundred million?" she said, impressed. "And…" she took in the other poster. "Roronoa Zoro?" she questioned.

"The one who challenged me at the sea restaurant," he replied. Her mind finally clicked as she remembered the green haired man. "I knew I'd hear those names again, though I hardly expected them to come this far so quickly. Seems they are just as determined as you are."

She beamed at the unexpected praise, and said, "Well, you did tell him to get stronger and then seek you out."

"So I did," he replied, a smirk on his face. "We may meet again sooner than I thought."

* * *

Ash looked around nervously, as they sailed up to the dock. Everything had changed once Mihawk received news of a summons for the warlords, and they had now arrived in Marie Jois, which was much bigger than she had pictured. The nerve racking part of course, was what Mihawk had told her of the World Government's leaders, and what to expect. Now that they were here, she was feeling uneasy.

She did as he had instructed, following behind him, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She was unsure of why she wasn't just staying in the boat, but perhaps this was some sort of test, or a demonstration of what to expect in the future. Either way, she determined to follow his instructions exactly.

She followed him through the building, climbing a few flights of stairs, and as they neared a door she could hear shouting coming from inside. They walked towards the sound, as it became quieter, and she wondered to herself what was happening. As they walked to the room at the end of the hall, she could see a large round table, with several people sitting on one side, all wearing marine uniforms, but with different amounts of badges on them, and two large men on the other side. One standing, whom she recognized though she couldn't remember his name. The other one was sitting- not at, but __on__ the table.

"So good to hear your dulcet tones again, Doflamingo," Mihawk said, and the blond man sitting on the table turned to look at them.

"Hawkeye," one the marines with a hat topped with a bird said quietly, seeming almost glad that Mihawk was there.

"Admiral Sengoku," Mihawk continued, "You've been well, I hope?"

Ash kept her face from looking surprised, and supposed to those that didn't know him, he may have sounded sincere, but she knew he was being sarcastic, and she wondered just what his relationship with these Navy leaders was like.

"Remember this Ashley," he spoke, though he didn't turn to her. "The seven warlords and the marines insist on keeping up appearances of getting along, but no one can ever explain why."

Ash nodded, but kept quiet.

"Hawk Eye Mihawk," the man Mihawk called Doflamingo said with a smirk. "and… friend. Perhaps this little get together will be interesting after all…" She couldn't see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but Ash suppressed the shiver that she had at his voice, and raised one eyebrow before turning her attention to the man at the head of the table as he spoke.

"What brings you here, Mihawk? And who is this?"

"My assistant, Ashley," Mihawk replied. "I wanted you to meet her, so that she will be protected, and not targeted. Though she is not a pirate, she should be extended the same courtesies as if she were a part of my crew. And, I heard of your meeting and thought I might sit in on it. I have an interest in the pirates you'll be discussing, and I like to stay informed."

"Then she should wait outside," Sengoku replied, though he had nodded as Mihawk had introduced her.

"Oh no, she should stay…" Doflamingo said, gesturing to a chair in front of where he sat. "I have a seat here."

A distressed sound came out of her before she could help it, as she felt something foreign grip her body. She was paralyzed, yet her legs began to move, and she walked over towards the blond man. Gripped by panic, Ash concentrated everything she had on herself, and her ability to not look back at Mihawk or say something that would embarrass him.

Everyone stopped short as someone else began speaking, an odd man that suddenly appeared in the window, and the room focused on him as he twirled a cane and tap danced along with his words. The strange feeling of being controlled was suddenly gone, and Ash hurriedly stepped back, returning to her place behind Mihawk.

 _"_ _ _Wait outside,"__ he murmured, and she nodded and turned, silently leaving the room, closing the doors behind her.

Once alone in the hall, she took a few deep breaths, calming herself. She stood against the wall, and closing her eyes, and focusing the panic that she still felt into determination. She focused on her senses, seeing the hallway around her in her mind, taking in the smell of the paint on the walls, the cleaner used on the furniture.

Ash stayed that way for some time, sharpening her focus like a blade, until she felt strong instead of weak. The door was opening, and she tensed, standing up straight and opening her eyes. But as she did, and looked over, the door was closed. Just as she noticed the oddity, the door handle turned, and the door opened, reveling several of the navy men leaving in a hurry as they spoke to each other in quiet tones, though she caught their glances at her.

Ash waited there, as the others began to leave the room, but it seemed as if the navy was exiting first, as at the end of the procession she saw Sengoku walking out with his pet… goat… as well as an older woman. They each nodded to her as they passed, and she nodded back in respect. __Couldn't hurt to treat them with respect on their own turf after all. No sense burning bridges that I may need in the future,__ she thought.

Then the huge man that she had recognized came walking out. Her eyes followed him, noting that he didn't even glance her way. She was frustrated that she couldn't remember his name, Kia had only used it once after all, but she distinctly remember flying away from her family because of him.

Ash felt her mind shout, as she saw Doflamingo's arm clamping on her shoulder, and she quickly sidestepped trying to get away- just as he walked forward, his arm outstretched, side by side with Mihawk. She looked at them, noting that each of them had an intrigued look on their faces, though Mihawk hid it as soon as it came.

"So, teaching her haki, are we?" Doflamingo said with a smirk. "I'm curious- why her, after so long of being alone?" He asked as he looked her over, trying to find answers.

Mihawk didn't respond, simply continued walking, and Ash fell into step behind him, knowing the routine. Doflamingo wasn't done, and called out, "What makes her so special?"

After he had frightened her, she went against her better judgement and glanced back with a smirk and a wink. Turning back she continued to follow Mihawk, not noticing whatever reaction Doflamingo had.

As they exited the building, Mihawk finally spoke. "That was unwise."

"What was?" Ash asked innocently.

"You do not want to get his interest peaked," he said as they boarded their boat and got ready to sail. "Nothing that garners his interest ever survives."

She couldn't help but gulp, and glanced back toward the building, noting that Doflamingo was at the entrance, just standing there. He was too far away to see, but it seemed he was looking in their direction, and she felt her spine stiffen.

"That is sound counsel, Master," she finally responded. "But I felt weak for longer than was acceptable in there. I had to correct the situation."

He didn't say anything, but his smirk and nod were enough.

* * *

After the excitement of Marie Jois, they returned to Gloom Island. They had spent most of the trip experimenting with her new found haki ability, which meant that she spent most of the time with her eyes closed, blocking and dodging small attacks from Mihawk, or calling out locations of the sea life below them. It became easier the more she worked, but Mihawk cautioned that it would take much more to use the skill in fighting.

He also took the time to explain more about haki, and its different types, which had her mind reeling at the possibilities. "So you're saying that someone can basically see hits coming, block weapons with their bare hands, and make people pass out just by thinking about it?!" she questioned, incredulous.

The look he gave had her realizing that she didn't quite get it, and she felt ridiculous. "Sorry, master, but I don't understand why everyone doesn't use these abilities."

He explained further, and they got into a discussion about the pros and cons, as well as the limitations of using haki. He admitted that he was no expert, and was unable to answer a few of her questions. There were a lot of things that made more sense though, and he used Shanks as an example of one who used his haki more so than others, and in turn was much stronger than others. Partly because of the strength of his haki, but also in part of his skill in using it.

It was something that had her thinking that this was what she had been looking for. A way to fight without killing, being able to counter attacks before they even happened. It could be a big advantage in her fighting, but only if she strengthened it, as she would with any other muscle. And she determined to do just that.

Ash began the next day with her morning run, laughing happily as she was able to run with more pleasure, rather than a flight for her life, as she could sense where the humandrills were coming, and was able to avoid their attacks instead of always outrunning them.

She returned to the castle with a smile on her face, seeing Mihawk waiting for me. "Master," she said pleasantly as she stretched to cool down her muscles.

"You were gone much longer than before," he noted. "Did you have trouble?" he asked.

She laughed, pleased with herself. "Not at all," she commented. "I just wanted to finally see the whole island."

He smirked back at her, and she could tell he was pleased. "Come with me, I have something to show you."

She followed him inside the castle, hoping that they weren't starting their morning training session before she had breakfast. They walked towards the kitchen, and she had the fleeting hope that he had made her something to eat. As they walked past the kitchen, that hope was dashed, but she was curious as he walked into the dojo room.

She stopped inside the room, and watched as he walked to the wall, and picked up a pair of black sai. He walked back to her, and held them out. She looked at him, seriously now, certain there was some sort of mistake.

"For me?" she asked quietly, hope growing inside her.

"If you do not continue to improve, how can you finally leave me in peace?" he asked, thrusting the weapons into her hands. "Now, first thing… we must teach you how to grip them properly."

* * *

 _ _Back at Marine HQ-__

"Come on Reese!"

"No!" she yelled back. "I'm trying to study!"

Garp had gotten Reese several papers of famous strategies from Vice Admiral Tsuru, which were amazing. Not only was she learning about great strategies in battle, but she was learning the history of her new home, which was helping her fit in even better.

"Sparring is studying!" Helmeppo cried out again, intent on having a three way fight. Reese had to admit, fighting all together pushed them more than just a one on one, but she was busy.

"Leave her alone Helmeppo," Coby said. "Unless you're worried you can't beat me without her help."

"As if!" Helmeppo responded, and the two of them went at it again.

The three of them were left on their own again today, as Garp had meetings, and Bogard was given the time off. They had already finished their regular duties, and so were making use of the free time, though Coby and Helmeppo weren't very interested in reading old reports.

After another hour or so, Reese decided to change activities, feeling her shoulders ache from being in one position for so long. She put the papers inside her bag for safekeeping, and adjusting her hat, headed over to the other two.

"Are you ready to join in?" Coby asked from atop Helmeppo. He didn't have long, as he was thrown to the side and they both stood again, ready for another round.

"No, I think I'm going to work on that shave technique Garp is trying to get us to learn," she said, and the boys both groaned.

"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of that one," Helmeppo said, and Coby nodded along.

"He makes it look so easy!" Coby added.

"It's all about speed and strength, right?" she said, positioning herself away from where they were sparring. "So I'll work on both, until I get it."

Garp hadn't given them any indication as to how they would be able to accomplish the moves he did, leaving them to work it out for themselves, so she started doing everything she could to build up the strength in her legs, as well as her speed.

She started doing drills, marking about thirty yards in her mind, sprinting there as quickly as she could, then doing lunges on the way back, only to turn around and repeat it. It was positively exhausting, but Reese knew she was building muscle and endurance.

They continued that way for a bit and eventually the boys joined her, and they took breaks as needed. Once their legs couldn't take anymore, they laid back on the grass, panting and sweating.

"I don't think I could do another lunge right now if you paid me," Reese said, pointing and flexing her feet in an effort to avoid cramps.

"You say that, but if Garp were here and ordered you to, you'd jump up and do a hundred more," Coby said with a grin.

"And so would you," she replied, laughing. "And even Helmeppo would."

"Hey!"

"Because none of us want to lose the opportunity he's given us," she concluded.

Coby chuckled along with her, and stood up. "Three way spar?" he asked the other two, holding out both hands to help them up.

"You're on," they both answered, grabbing onto his hand and jumping up into their stances.

The three were pretty evenly matched overall, but each had their weak areas, and they each knew the others- so they did what anyone would, and tried to exploit them. Coby was physically stronger, and could usually defeat the others with one or two hits. Helmeppo was more athletic, able to jump over either of others easily, making him hard to catch and easy to catch his opponents off guard. But once caught, he was quickly bested. As for Reese, she was quicker than the other two, often catching them in the back, or with a leg sweep. But, as with Helmeppo, once caught, she couldn't match their strength.

Because their styles were so different, by fighting all together, they were in a constant state of changing tactics, and it helped each of them in their respective abilities, but also in bettering their weaknesses. Coby was getting faster and more agile, Helmeppo was getting faster and stronger, and Reese was getting stronger and more agile the more they sparred together.

There was only one rule- no teaming up. It was winner take all, and all knew it. But that didn't mean they couldn't take advantage of situations.

Reese rolled toward Helmeppo, sweeping out her leg to take his out from under him. As she moved away, and Helmeppo fell back, Coby rushed in to tackle him, keeping him from jumping away. Helmeppo growled, rolling to the side to try to free himself, which helped him dodge a punch Coby aimed straight for his face.

Reese ran back in, kicking out and hitting Coby in the shoulder. He reached out to grab her, but she was already away, and the distraction gave Helmeppo the chance to get away. The three of them were facing off again, their eyes constantly shifting back and forth, waiting for someone to make a move.

Coby started first this time, running towards Reese, and she was surprised at how quick he was, and she moved away from him. She saw Helmeppo move to intercept them, grabbing his kukri from their sheaths on his belt, and Reese pulled her baton from her waist, as she turned toward him, making him adjust his stance, and gaining a moment.

Coby was right on her heels as they ran, and Helmeppo grinned as she came close, swinging out slightly higher than normal, anticipating her leap. She changed tactics, speeding up and then rolling to avoid the hit.

She heard a grunt and a crash and she hopped back up to see the damage, seeing Coby and Helmeppo in a pile. It looked like they collided with each other.

"Coby! Coby are you okay?" Helmeppo asked, panicking. Reese rushed over as he rolled Coby over, and they both peered down anxiously. Coby's eyes were closed, and there was a horribly bleeding wound on his forehead. She rushed over to her bag, grabbing the first aid kit that she habitually carried around for just these incidents.

Even putting pressure on the wound for several minutes didn't seem to stop the flow of blood, and her hands were soon covered.

"Helmeppo, we need to take him to the infirmary, can you help me carry him?" she asked.

"I can carry him, you get our things," he said brusquely. Reese wrapped a bandage around Coby's head, and went to pick up their bags. Turning back, Coby was in Helmeppo's arms, and though he looked like he was straining, he didn't complain as they rushed away to the infirmary.

Reese gave their names and ranks at the infirmary, and were they would be informing Garp of the situation, which she was actually glad for. She didn't think she could go and try to find him right now, let alone explain. Worst case scenarios were rushing through her head as she and Helmeppo sat in the waiting area.

"I don't understand it," Helmeppo muttered. "I had you, and then suddenly, Coby was there instead." He looked miserable, hanging his head. "I didn't aim to hit him."

"It's not your fault," she replied quietly. "Accidents happen in spars all the time."

"You don't get it," he mumbled, and she didn't reply.

After some time, the doctor came to get them, leading them into the main room filled with beds. He took them over to where Coby lay, explaining that he would be fine, it was a minor wound, but would certainly leave a scar. They both breathed out sighs of relief, and Reese reached over to place Coby's glasses back on his face.

They stayed until he woke, groggy and uncertain of where he was or what was happening. Helmeppo explained what happened, and told him what the doctor had said about a scar.

"Great… the glasses helped me stand out enough…" he said sadly.

"Hey, don't feel bad, it's a battle scar, right?" Reese said cheerily.

He smiled back. "I guess so."

"You can always wear a bandanna or something," Helmeppo suggested.

"That's true," he said thoughtfully.

"No way," Reese said. "You should be proud of your battle scars."

Coby chuckled as Helmeppo argued with her about which way he should go.

"You have to admit," Coby said, breaking up their argument. "I almost had you Reese."

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Helmeppo said, frowning. "Since when are you fast enough to catch Reese? And how did she get out of the way so suddenly? I __had__ her, she should have taken the hit, not you."

"Maybe you were slower than you thought," Reese said, confused why he was harping on this.

"Or you were faster," he shot back.

Before they could argue again, they heard laughter and turned to the sound. Garp was walking into the room, and had heard them arguing. While Coby was friends with each of them, Helmeppo and Reese were still getting used to the idea, and argued more often than not… and Garp found the whole thing hilarious.

"Can't be too serious, if you two are still at it," he said as he walked up.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Sir!" Coby and Helmeppo both saluted.

"Gramps," Reese said with a nod of her head, and he smiled at us. "Coby took a hit during a spar. Doc said it was minor, no damage, though there will be a scar."

"Hmm, then what's the argument about?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"I'm sorry sir, I just don't understand how this happened," Helmeppo said nervously. "I had Reese cornered, and was going in for the final hit, and suddenly Coby was there instead, and Reese was several feet away. I couldn't pull back in time." He looked like someone facing a firing squad, as he told Garp what happened.

"Sounds like a shave," Garp mentioned, as he leaned down to look into Coby's eyes. Seeing him looking fine, Garp slapped him on the back, and laughed. "Training in one hour, down at the yard," he said throwing a rolled up paper into Coby's lap, and leaving the room.

They all stared at him, then back to Coby as he picked up the paper and unrolled it. His eyes widened as he spread it out for us to see. It was two wanted posters.

"Zoro too?" Helmeppo asked incredulously.

"One hundred million…" Coby said softly. "Everyone will be after him!"

Reese looked down at the posters, noting that while Luffy's picture was the same with a big grin, Zoro's looked like he had been in a huge fight, he was dirty and bleeding. She looked up at Coby with a smile. "Just what they said they were going to do, isn't it?"


	36. Chapter 36- Minchy the Tool- and Zenny

"I'm starving!" Luffy yelled out, to no one in particular.

"Just goes to show, Captain. If you gorge yourself one day, there will nothing to eat the next," Kia answered, not looking up from her sewing. She was determined to make herself a cross-body bag, smaller than Usopp's but very similar, to hold her things when going ashore.

"Gorge?" Chopper asked.

"It's another word for stuffing yourself," Usopp answered, and Kia smiled at him.

It had started innocently enough, with him explaining words she had used to Luffy, and now it was a little bit of a game; Kia trying to use new words that he hopefully didn't know, and he, always winning by knowing and explaining their meaning. She asked him once, and he said his mom used to read to him, helping him expand his vocabulary, and it became something the two bonded over.

"Oh," Chopper replied. "Well we certainly gorged ourselves yesterday, didn't we?"

"Well, we had to celebrate getting away from those marines," Luffy defended, and Kia chuckled.

"That's true, we did."

"You know Kia, you don't always have to agree with him," Nami complained, and she looked up.

"Well, he __is__ the captain after all."

"Ugh," Nami said with a roll of her eyes. She didn't comment further, as they heard the whooshing and splash of a cannonball coming at them. Several looked behind to see a marine vessel trailing some distance behind them.

"Can we outrun them?" Usopp asked, and Nami nodded.

"They can't catch us, not with the wind we've got."

Usopp took her at her word, and continued to fish, even as Nami adjusted the ship's trajectory slightly to increase their speed. Kia looked around, noting that they had been dogged so frequently by the marines, that it hardly fazed anyone anymore.

Sanji hadn't even come out of the kitchen at the call, Zoro was still cleaning his swords, Robin was reading at her small table up on deck, and Chopper and Luffy were laying on deck alternatively asking Usopp if he had caught something yet, because they were starving. Even at the worst of times, these people were so much fun to be with.

Sanji walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray, and approached Robin with it. "Robin my love!" he called, "I have your tea, and a special snack I made just for you!"

"What?!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cried out, running for Sanji who held them at bay with a hand on Usopp's face, and a foot on Luffy's.

"You've been holding out on us!" Usopp yelled indignantly.

"Yeah, we're hungry too! Sanji, you meanie!" Chopper added

Luffy tried to say something Kia was sure, but with Sanji's foot in his face, no one could understand him. Robin solved the problem by having arms appear on Chopper and Luffy, and tickling them, causing them to roll around on the deck, laughing.

"Uh, hello!" Nami called out. "There are still marines behind us! This is no time for having fun!"

"We know," Zoro said back. "The cannonballs are so annoying."

"Nami!" Kia yelled back, before she could shout at Zoro. "Fog ahead!"

"Hmm," she mused. "Maybe we can use it to give the marines the slip, but it'll be tricky! Sanji! Hard to port!"

"Of course, Nami sweet!" he cooed, as he ran for the kitchen.

They followed Nami's directions, and were able to lose the marines in the fog, which had Luffy ready to celebrate again. But before anyone could inform him that there wasn't any food to have a feast, Usopp called out, "Island! Dead ahead!"

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered as he started salivating. "I hope there's food!"

"A new island, huh?" Zoro said as he stood up. "Should be fun."

"Kia! Let's go!" Luffy called out, and she looked back at her half finished bag.

"I'll stay and watch the Merry," she said, and Luffy pouted.

"What? Why? I'll protect you, just like I promised."

"I know Captain," she said with a smile. "I just have some things I need to finish up here. But you should go, have fun!"

* * *

Kia chuckled to herself as she watched the rest of the crew disembark. Little did they know, the surprise she had planned. It had started as a thought, when she and Chopper were creating everyone's medical records. She had realized how close Luffy's birthday was, we had just barely missed it. And Usopp's was only about a month before that, Sanji's a month before that, and Robin's a month before that. Plus, Nami's was about a month and a half away. True, her own was several months away, and Zoro's and Chopper's were at the end of the year, but still, she wanted to have a birthday party.

Who knew how many birthday parties any of her crew mates had ever gotten, having been raised in crazy circumstances, but instead of celebrating one, she decided they would celebrate them all, and have a great cake to go with it.

She knew she wasn't much of a cook, but she was a fairly decent baker. She definitely had a sweet tooth, and enjoyed making all sorts of confections back home. Kia had gone to Sanji days ago, and had gotten ingredients, saving them in a box with her name on it in the cupboard, which he thankfully left alone. Now, that she was alone on the ship, she could finish her preparations.

She didn't have money to buy presents, so she had drawn everyone a picture, using the times when she had been on watch, and when she couldn't sleep to work on them in secret. She had a few finishing touches, but they were mostly done. When the others left, she rubbed her hands together in excitement, and got to work.

She later thought it had been a good thing they had practically run out of food, because now there was plenty of room in the fridge for her cakes. Halfway through the mixing process, she had decided to make individual cakes for each of them, rather than one large one to share. The image of Luffy scarfing the whole thing in one gulp had her worried, so the plan changed. Now she had six small cakes and one large one in the fridge cooling, while she whipped up some frosting.

There had been a couple of close calls, where she had almost been caught as different members of the crew came to visit and tell of their exploits with an old man named Zenny. It was sad that he was so close to dying, and she completely understood that the crew wanted to stay and make his last days comfortable.

However, three days in, Kia had had enough of the waiting. She had done every possible chore she could think of aboard the Merry, and needed to stretch her legs. She climbed down the ladder, and made her way up the trail, not going far before she ran into Zoro.

"Hey Zoro," she called, and he turned from his training.

"Thought it would take some sort of miracle to get you off that ship," he said sarcastically, and she bristled.

"I'm not scared or anything," Kia defended herself. "I just like being there."

"Uh-huh," he replied, not at all convinced.

"Besides, I'm a trouble magnet," she said, a little more quietly, but he just gave her a look.

"Not any more than our captain is."

Kia looked around, wanting to change the conversation. "Uh, so what's taking so long? I thought you guys said we would only be here for a day or two."

"Yeah, we did."

"Zoro, it's been three days already," she pointed out, which had him standing up, looking at her in surprise.

"You sure?" he asked, and she nodded. "Hmm, all right then, I'll go get the others. We don't want to spend forever tending to the old man."

"Okay then, see you back on the Merry," she said and turned back. Zoro shook his head at her, wondering if she would ever just tell them what worried her, and headed back up the hill.

As Kia got back to the shore, she was startled to see a Marine ship in the cove. __When did that get here?__ she thought as she backed up, determined to hide. It didn't do any good, as she was surrounded quickly by the marines that had already come ashore.

* * *

Up on the deck of the marine's ship, Kia was tied tightly and gagged. She tried wiggling out of the ropes, moving her wrists and arms to try to make some leeway, but to no avail. The only good news was that the marines were ignoring her, but she couldn't blame them. She knew she wasn't any sort of worry for them.

The sergeant, a complete tool named Minchy, was notified once the rest of the pirate crew came to the shore, and he walked forward to speak to them, yelling to them about how they were free to go, and he was only here to inspect the island. Kia could hear Usopp agree and run off to gather their supplies, and she shook her head, wishing she could yell loud enough that they could hear her.

"You're not the boss of me! I'll leave when I'm good and ready!" Luffy's voice came clearly across the water, and Kia grinned as best she could being gagged, at the anger on Minchy's face. She listened as Nami accused him of lying, and heard the gasps as the fog finally burned away in the morning sun, and the crew could see the ships that were hiding behind Minchy's, waiting for his signal.

"Hold it right there, or the long nose gets it!" someone yelled, and Kia started scooting closer to the edge of the deck, wanting to see what was happening.

"Sorry guys, they got the drop on me," Usopp said, and she heard Chopper yell out.

"You dirty creeps!"

Kia could still hear voices, but since they weren't shouting, she couldn't hear what they were saying, and as she kept scooting closer, Minchy finally saw her, and gave a kick that she barely dodged by rolling to the side. The marines all around her came forward, pointing their guns at the shore.

"Big deal! I can handle bullets!" she heard Luffy shout.

"But we can't!" Nami yelled back angrily.

"Ha ha!" Minchy laughed. "I'll get the treasure of Zenny the moneylender, the heads of the Straw Hats, and all the credit, once I send you to hell!"

He moved, so that his men could fire, but a loud cracking sound stopped everyone where they stood. Sliding down the top of the mountain, was a ship, following the path all the way to the shore and into the water.

Luffy shouted, "Yay old goat man!" followed by, "Don't encourage him!" from some of the others.

"Be careful old man! He's after your treasure!" Usopp shouted.

Kia, on her side, tried to move out of the way, but was kicked a few times as the marines rushed by her. She huddled at the railing off to the side, hoping that she could avoid getting hurt. She looked up as a movement caught her eye, seeing Luffy's hands grab onto the rigging, and she felt a surge of happiness. Not a moment later, as she heard his battle cry coming closer, a marine sliced through the rope with his sword, and the cry was cut off with a loud thump from the front of the ship.

 _ _Luffy's in the water!__ Kia thought desperately. She tried with renewed energy to get out of the ropes around me, thrashing around in desperation. She could only hope that someone was going after Luffy, hoping that Zoro or Sanji had seen him fall.

* * *

Nami, Sanji, Chopper and Usopp ran for the Merry, and pulled up the anchor as quickly as they could.

"Bring her around!" Nami yelled as she ran downstairs yelling for Kia.

Chopper stood up on the railing, as Usopp readied the cannon, yelling, "Hurry! Hurry!" before Sanji reached up to grab him and put him back on the deck.

"We know, we'll get there soon," Sanji replied as he lit a cigarette, the Merry heading straight for the other ships.

"Did we hit something?" Usopp asked, and the other two shrugged.

"Guys!" Nami yelled breathlessly as she reached the top deck. "I can't find Kia!"

"What?!"

* * *

Minchy grabbed onto Kia's braided hair, and started dragging her across the deck. She scuttled after him, using her legs as fast as she could to avoid having all her hair pulled out.

"Now Zenny," Minchy said to the old man he stood in front of. "Tell me the truth- or this girl will die, and then so will you."

Kia's eyes went wide as he pulled out his sword and pointed it at her head, and she stared at the old man pleadingly.

"You may not believe it, but I'm broke," the man replied in defeat. "I treasure my life, and my friends! I don't have two coins to rub together!" The defeat had come and gone, and he smiled triumphantly at Minchy.

"Fine, have it your way," he said as he raised his sword up. Something flew at him, striking him in the face, causing him to whirl around, and the two captives followed to see who it was.

"It seems I broke your abacus," Robin said with a smirk. "I'm sorry."

"You think you can defy the marines?!" Minchy sneered as goats started running up from the hold.

At the same time, the Merry came up and bumped into the ship, causing everyone to fall over. Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper all jumped over to the marine ship.

"Old man!" Chopper called. "I'm here to help you!"

"I almost died!" the man complained.

Usopp and Sanji both ran toward Kia, but she saw Sanji veer off as he spotted Robin.

"Are you okay?" they both asked each of the girls.

"Yes, I'm fine," Robin answered and Kia nodded.

Usopp untied her, and removed the gag from her mouth. Kia was so happy to be free, she jumped him, giving him a huge hug. "Thank you Usopp! Thank you, thank you!"

Robin giggled at Sanji's depressed form, since he realized that could have been him getting hugged, if he had only gone to Kia instead.

"Robin! So this is where you've been!" Nami said as she tied up Minchy. She looked over at Zenny, "Old man, are you okay?"

"Yeah, but are __they__ okay?" he replied, and the crew followed his look, seeing Zoro and Luffy, soaked and hurt, panting on the deck.

"Zoro! You saved Luffy!" Kia called out, running over as they sat up. "How'd you get that bump?" she asked, seeing a huge knot on his head.

" _ _Someone,__ hit me with a ship!" he yelled at Usopp, who flinched.

"Luffy!" Kia cried happily as he sat up, looking all right, just wet. "I was so scared when those marines grabbed me! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry I got caught!"

"What."

Luffy looked angrily over at Minchy, adjusting his hat, and looking at the sergeant. "You grabbed my little sister?"

"Your… __your sister?!__ " Minchy squeaked.

Luffy picked him up by the ropes around him, and said, "Be sure to tell your friends, that we're waiting for them!" He reared back his other arm, ready to send him sailing through the air.

"A little higher on the aim, Luffy!" Usopp called out from the crow's nest, where he had gone to get a better view of where the marine ships were.

"Thanks! Gum gum… Pistol!"

"Good form… nice trajectory!" Usopp called down.

"What was that? Your __little__ sister?" Kia asked him wryly. "I'm fairly certain I'm older than you."

"Well, yeah, but you're new to being a pirate, so you're like… the whole crew's little sister!" he said with a grin, and everyone else just shrugged and ran with it, as usual.

Kia smiled, "it's a nice thought," she replied.

Chopper bandaged Zoro and Robin's heads, and gave Kia some ointment for the rope burns she had. As the crew sailed away from the island, Luffy yelled out to Zenny, that they would see him out on the seas.


	37. Chapter 37- The Rainbow Mist

Kia woke up suddenly, to a tap on her back. Sitting up, she could see an arm coming out of her bed, and as she sat up, it disappeared. She looked over at Nami, as she too sat up, having fallen asleep at her desk again.

"Think everything is okay?" Kia asked, as they walked up the stairs to the deck.

"I hope so," she answered.

They could hear the movement of the guys from their room, all of them climbing up the ladder on the mast that stood in the middle of their room. They all met on deck, looking around for trouble, and spotted Robin standing up in the crow's nest looking at the sky.

 _ _It was amazing! There were shooting stars everywhere, it must have been some sort of meteor shower!__ The crew made their way to the top deck near the figurehead, Luffy raising his arms over his head, shouting, "Awesome!"

Being in front of the sails meant there was nothing to block the view, and they all looked up in amazement at the wide expanse of sky. It didn't last long, but what they saw was beautiful!

Since no one was ready to go back to bed, Kia decided that it was the perfect time for the birthday party. She called Robin down, and asked for help from Sanji to bring out the cakes. They weren't too big, more like jumbo cupcakes, except for Luffy's.

She ran to the girl's room, and grabbed the hastily wrapped presents. All she could do was roll them up like a scroll, and tie ribbon around them, __but it was the thought that counted, right?__

"Kia?" Luffy asked, as she came back on deck. "What's going on?"

"I'm glad you asked, Luffy!" Kia said with a grin. "Surprise!" she yelled loudly to everyone. "Happy birthday!"

They all looked at her in confusion, except for Luffy, who looked ecstatic. "Whose birthday is it?" he asked happily.

"Everyone's!" she replied, as she took a cake from Sanji's trays and handed it to Chopper. "We missed some birthdays, and there are some coming up soon, but since I don't know how long we'll be together, we're celebrating everyone's birthday right now!"

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"That's dumb," Zoro muttered, as she went to hand him a cake, so she held it back out of reach.

"Oh really?" she asked with a smirk. "I'm sure Luffy would like to have your cake then."

He grumbled as he denied the idea, and she handed him the cake. "Happy birthday Zoro," she said and he glared at her, but with his own smirk he went to take a bite of the cake.

"Thank you Kiana," Robin said quietly as she took the cake Kia offered. "This was very kind of you."

"Kia darling!" Sanji called. "Thank you so much! It's too beautiful to eat!"

"You shouldn't have," Nami said with a smile.

"This looks great!" Usopp added.

"Yummy!" Chopper said, and Kia turned to find him with an icing mustache, causing her to grin. She then carried over the large cake to Luffy, saying "This by no means indicates that I like Luffy better than the rest of you, but I didn't want to have him trying to eat your cakes."

Luffy's tongue was out as he looked at the triple layered cake, and he picked it up with a "Thanks!" and shoved the entire thing in his mouth. Kia laughed, and said, "besides, I worried that that is what would have happened if I only made one."

"That was great!" Luffy cheered, punching up at the sky.

"I guess that means it is time for presents!" Kia said, and grabbed the rolled papers, walking around and handing them out. "I hope you like them!"

The crew didn't say anything, but they all waited for Luffy to open his first. He tore off the ribbon, and unrolled the paper. Letting out a "Whoa…" he turned it so that the others could see.

Kia had drawn a picture of Luffy, as the king of the pirates, with his straw hat on, and a large flowing coat around him. He was standing on the deck of the ship, and all his friends, family and crew were around him, including some that were only halfway done.

"Why are there people with no faces?" Usopp asked, confused.

"Well, I didn't know everyone in Luffy's family, or friends that I don't know that he may want in there, so I left some blank, so that he can describe them to me, and I'll draw them in," she explained.

"Kia! That's so amazing!" he shouted, stretching his arms out to wrap around her in a hug. Intentionally or not, that pulled her in, so she was now a part of the crowd of crew members huddled together to see the picture, which practically put her sprawled over several of their laps.

"Who's next?" Luffy called excitedly, leaving Kia where she landed across him.

"Uh, I guess I will," Usopp said, and pulled the ribbon off of his. He held it out in front of all of them, and everyone oohed and awed at the picture of an older, warrior version of Usopp sailing on a ship. Kia had given him what was basically a giant version of his regular slingshot, not wanting to give anything away, but who knew? Maybe it would get him thinking. Underneath the picture was the words, "Great Warrior of the Sea".

"This is so cool!" Usopp said. "It's like a picture of my dream!"

"My turn!" Chopper called out, opening his own. He looked at it, then turned to Kia, his lip quivering. "Thank you Kia!" he cried, leaping for her, and giving her a hug.

"What is it?" Sanji asked, and Chopper calmed down enough to sit on Kia's lap and show it to everyone. It was a picture of him in the middle, Dr. Kureha on one side, and Dr. Hiriluk on the other. Although she had known what he looked like, Kia had gotten Chopper to tell her about him a few times, and she was glad, because he was a little different than she had remembered.

"I'll hang it up where I treat patients!" Chopper declared.

"That's so neat, Kia!" Nami said, as she opened her own. Kia had gone with a more comedic theme for Nami's, showing her swimming through a giant pile of money, with a huge map on the wall behind her.

Nami turned to grin at her friend. "Two dreams in one, huh Kia?" she said and Kia chuckled. "Well, everyone will want to pay for a copy of your map, Nami," Kia replied. "So of course you'll charge outlandish prices and become filthy rich!"

"Ah, what a great thought!" she said, and they moved on as they could tell she was lost in the thought of money.

"Your turn, Zoro!" Luffy called, and Zoro opened his own, though, he looked at it himself before showing it to everyone else.

"It looks like an epic battle," he said with a grin at Kia, and she smiled back.

"Do you like it?" she asked, and he nodded.

"It's good to have reminders of what you're fighting for. And you got the struggle really well."

"I can't tell who's winning…" Usopp commented, looking at the scene of Zoro facing off against Mihawk.

"That depends on how you look at it," Kia said, and he turned his head to look at it differently. She chuckled, and said, "no, I mean, it depends on how you want to see it. I see Zoro winning, eventually, but it will be a fight for everything. There will be wounds, sacrifices, that sort of thing."

"Yeah, I can see the blood!" Luffy said, looking closer.

"Don't mess it up," Zoro said blandly, pulling it towards himself, and nodding at her. "Thanks Kia," he said, and she smiled again.

"You're welcome," she answered.

"Robin!" Luffy called, and Robin gave a shrug and opened her own. There was so many things Kia had thought of for Robin, but most would have given her away, so she settled for a picture of the crew.

"Wow!" several of the them said, as she showed it off. It was a scene of the crew in a circle, having a picnic. Luffy and Chopper were dancing with chopsticks in their noses, Usopp was sleeping, his belly rotund. Nami was laying down on her stomach, reading, and Zoro was laying down on his back, lifting hand weights but looking like he was sleeping. Robin and Kia were sitting together with Sanji pouring them each a drink, and they were laughing at Luffy and Chopper's antics. The main point of the picture, was to convey the togetherness, and the fun of the crew.

"I don't remember this picnic," Nami said as she looked at the picture.

"It wasn't from a memory," Kia replied. "More of… an idea that we're friends, and that's what we'd do if we had time."

"I like it!" Luffy exclaimed, smiling. "We need one of all of us to hang up for everyone to see!" he said. "Oh, and then you can draw in all the friends we meet along the way… like… like a never ending picnic of all our friends!"

"Wow! That's a great idea!" Chopper grinned. "Do you think you could do it?" he asked Kia.

"Um… probably?" she guessed. "But I'd need you guys to help me with the friends you've made that I haven't met. And I would either need a really big paper, or we'll have to make a collage of sorts. I'll think about it, and let you know, okay captain?"

"Okay!"

"Mr. Cook, I believe it is your turn," Robin said, and they waited for Sanji to open his picture. Kia had taken quite a few liberties with this one, but the idea was represented, and that was the point. Sanji was in his apron, and a kitchen could be seen in the background.

Sanji stood in front of a giant wall, where there were four fish tanks, labeled for each of the seas, full of different fish in each, and Sanji had his hand on his chin, as if he was thinking of what he would choose to cook.

"Kia-" For once, Sanji didn't coo when he spoke directly to her, and she turned to make eye contact.

"I didn't know exactly what the All Blue looks like," she said and smiled. "but once you find it, I imagined you'd find a way to take your own portable version."

"Thank you Kia my darling!" he did a happy dance, and she couldn't help but laugh as he tried to pull her into the dance as well, but she avoided the grab.

"It's my pleasure!" she answered. "I had fun drawing them, and I wanted to make sure you all know how glad I am that you're my friends… my family away from home! Happy Birthday!"

* * *

"I am so tired of being chased by marines!" Usopp complained loudly as he and Zoro rowed the oars with all their might.

"Keep rowing, or they're going to catch us!" Nami yelled down to him, and he gritted his teeth and kept rowing.

"I think we're getting ahead of them!" Kia yelled from the crow's nest, and right then one of the ships behind them blew apart, and the others stayed behind to help their comrades.

"Ha ha!" Usopp spoke as they sailed away from their pursuers. "Eventually those rats would turn on their own, just as I predicted from the start!"

"Just when did you predict that?" Zoro asked flatly.

"Hey! We lost them!" Nami cheered.

"We would have gone faster if Luffy had helped!" Sanji growled at our captain.

"I'm so hungry I can't even move!" Luffy replied.

"How about a taste of the back of my hand?!" Sanji threatened.

"Land ho!" Kia called out, breaking the tension, and everyone ran to check it out.

"It looks like a harbor!" Chopper called out, once they got close enough to make things out.

"A harbor means a town, a town means restaurants, and restaurants mean food!" Luffy cheered, as they anchored the Merry near the harbor by some cliffs.

Nami and Robin were the first to disembark while the boys secured the ship, and looking around at the new stop Nami talked about going shopping.

"I could eat," Robin added.

"Halt!" A voice interrupted, and a couple of guard looking fellows came around the bend. "All harbour taxes must be paid before you can enter Luluka!"

"But," Nami responded calmly, "if we're going to trade in town, why do we need to pay a tax?"

"Because it's your duty!" the man replied angrily, and Nami was taken aback by his attitude. "Now pay up, or you'll regret it!"

Before Nami could answer, Sanji had placed himself in between her and the guards. "Don't you speak to the lady like that," he said quietly, his voice hard.

"Or what?" the guard asked snidely.

"FOOD!" Luffy and Kia were the last off the ship, and she watched in amusement as he barreled over everyone in his way, including Sanji and the guards, chanting "food…food…food!" the entire time.

"I'm watching the ship today Kia," Zoro said, giving her a push forward. "Why don't you go with Luffy?"

Kia turned back to see there was nothing left of Luffy but a trail of dust, Robin and Usopp already heading out after him.

"Or shopping with Nami," he changed his mind as he too saw that Luffy was gone.

"Okay Zoro, if you're sure you don't want to go…"

"You're not going to get stronger staying back on the ship," he said with a look. "Oy! Curly brow! Kia's coming with you!" he called, and though Sanji yelled an insult back at him, he, Nami and Chopper waited happily for her.

"You need anything?" Kia asked Zoro as she left. "Wait, don't tell me…. some booze."

"Maybe Luffy is right, you __are__ like a little sister," he smirked at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him, and joined her group for the day.

* * *

"I'm so glad you decided to buy that last outfit, Kia!" Nami said as they walked out of the seventh store. Chopper and Sanji were laden down with bags and packages, most of which were Nami's.

"I'm glad you talked me into it," Kia replied with a smile, "though I have no idea when I'll ever wear it. I don't wear skirts much, and it's shorter than I would normally go for."

"What are friends for?" she said with a grin, which turned into a smirk. "If only there was a handsome pirate around for you to show it off for?"

"Oh, stop!" Kia laughed, at her teasing.

Chopper looked back saying, "Huh?"

Sanji looked at him, "She must mean me!" he said with a strange look on his face. Then straightening, he cleared his throat and explained. "Girls enjoy looking their best for guys that they love," he said, which had Chopper nodding in understanding. __Must be some kind of mating ritual,__ he thought.

"Oh…" Chopper answered. He turned back to the girls and said, "so you're going to show the outfit to Luffy then, Kia?" he asked, and Kia almost toppled over in shock.

"Huh?" Kia asked as she steadied herself. "Why would you say __that__ Chopper?" she asked.

"Well you said yesterday that you loved Luffy," he said, now confused again. __Humans were so strange!__ "And girls show off for guys they love…" he explained.

"Oh Chopper," she said, relieved that this was all it was. "I love Luffy, sure! Just like I love you, and Sanji, and Nami, Usopp, Zoro, and Robin! Like my family."

"Oh, I see!" Chopper giggled. "Wait, but then, who will you show off for?"

"Yes, Kia… who indeed?" Nami asked with another smirk.

"No one Chopper," Kia muttered, turning pink. "Absolutely no one."

Kia could see Sanji walking, seeming a little down, so she decided to help him feel better. "I do need a new swimsuit," she said to Nami with a smile, watching Sanji jump and start doing his little happy dance again.

"Well let's find you one then," she said with a roll of her eyes, leading the way to the next shop.

After finding a few swimsuits, the group left the store and started walking back towards the ship at a leisurely pace. As they headed for some stairs, a man stepped into their path. And the strange thing was, he was wearing a robotic suit.

"I am the mayor's grandson, and it is my duty to collect all outstanding taxes!" he stated grandly. Sanji stepped forward, blocking the others from his view.

"I'd leave if I were you, or you are going to get hurt," he smirked, excited to protect the girls.

"Ha! Just try it!"

Sanji wasted no time, running forward and leaping to kick the machine, but before his kick struck, he was stopped by a giant current of electricity, shocked, and fell to the ground. He shook his head saying, "Whoa, that packed a punch."

Nami ran back around the corner, and Chopper pulled Kia back by her shirt.

"Sanji! Be careful!" Nami called, and Sanji turned with love in his eyes.

"Oh Nami! You're worried about me?" he cooed.

"No! You're still holding my bags!" Chopper and Kia both turn to glare at Nami.

"Nami that was harsh!" Kia hissed at her.

"Well, I can't tell him if I am actually worried, because he'll think I'm in love with him!" she hissed back.

"That's... okay, that's true," Kia replied.

"Besides, I'm not worried," she said. "Sanji's a monster, he can take this guy." They looked back as Sanji dodged an electrical attack that was flung at him.

"He must have a devil fruit power," Chopper said, and Kia focused in on the machine.

"No…" she replied. "Look behind him!"

"A portable generator?!" Chopper shouted in surprise. There were a couple of wires coming out the back of the mechanical suit, hooked to a stationary bicycle that when pedaled, would conduct electricity for the suit. Another man was pedaling as fast as he could to provide electricity for the first man to wield against the criminals.

Sanji wasn't listening, and ran forward to attack again, only for the same thing to happen- getting electrocuted.

"Sanji, if you get my things damaged, I'll pound you!" Nami yelled at him.

"If they are so important, why doesn't she carry them herself?" Chopper asked Kia quietly.

"Sanji won't let us carry anything," she answered, and he replied, "oh yeah."

Kia finally had enough, and jumped up, running towards Sanji, "Come on! With those wires attached, they can't keep up with us if we run!" she yelled back to Nami and Chopper. She grabbed Sanji's arm and pulled him with her, as they ran away from the machines. The man inside tried to run after them, and the wires pulled taut and then pulled him back, and he fell over.

The group kept running, all the way back to where they had docked the Merry, only to find that it was gone, and no one was around.

"What happened?!" Nami yelled. "It's gone!"

"But… Zoro was on board, he wouldn't just let anyone take it," Kia said, confused.

"Those people collecting taxes, must have taken the Merry and Zoro!" Chopper wailed.

"Stupid moss head!" Sanji groused.

* * *

"Not this guy again," Chopper complained.

They had made their way around the shore to the harbor, and ran right into the man in the electric suit.

"Quit your whining and let's go!" the man said with a smirk. Sanji knew he couldn't attack, so he just stood in front of them with his arms out, determined to not let them get hurt, as something came flying from behind the man in the suit, striking him hard and causing him to topple over.

Kia looked over, seeing the small coin rolling around on the ground.

"Was that you?!" he demanded, as his men helped him stand back up.

"Uh, it hit you in the back..." she said. "How could we have done that?"

"And if we say it was?" Sanji challenged.

The man bent down, picking up the coin and pocketing it. "Thank you for paying your taxes. Let me be the first to welcome you to Luluka," he said as he climbed out of the suit.

"Huh?" they responded.

However, he wasn't done with them, and they listened as he told them what happened to the Merry and their friends that were aboard. Nami was practically drooling at the thought of all that treasure, but Kia was a little more worried, as she remembered what the Rainbow mist was.

* * *

Before they knew what had happened, the mayor and his guards were there too. Nami mentioned helping finding the treasure inside the mist, and the mayor told her that they would have to pay the "finding out a secret" tax which equaled 400 million beri, 100 million for each of them. He threatened that they would be taken prisoner and put to work since they couldn't pay it.

He called the tax collection squad, which ended up being his son, Phillip, who ignored the pirates and looking out at the mist, practically jumped for joy. "Now we can go collect the treasure!" he said to the mayor.

"It must be a burden having such an idiotic family," Nami commented dryly, and the rest of them snickered.

"You have no idea," the mayor replied, then realizing what he said, he snapped at Phillip. "Contact Henzo!"

They watched on as Phillip set up some sort of desk, pulling out a transponder snail and placing it upon it. He then sat at the desk and dialed a number.

"Yep? Hi! Uh, hello?" Kia smiled as she recognized Luffy's voice on the other end.

"Well well, Professor Henzo," Phillip began and Luffy cut him off.

"Huh? Who is this anyway?"

"What?" Phillip asked, looking at the receiver. "Wait a second… who are you?!" he demanded, and Sanji reached over and grabbed the receiver out of his hand, holding it out so they could all speak.

"Hey Luffy," he said, and Kia chimed in with, "Hi Captain!"

"Where the heck did you guys go?" Chopper asked.

Nami grabbed the receiver out of Sanji's hand, highly annoyed. "You guys! You ran off with the ship, and left us in a pretty sticky situation you know!"

"Hey, it's Nami," Luffy said, and they all shook their heads.

"Is this the outside world?" A new voice spoke, taking over for Luffy. "Phillip? Are you there?"

Phillip reached out and grabbed the receiver back. "Yes! Professor, what is your location?"

"I am currently inside the Rainbow Mist!" the answer came, and they all looked over to the mist above the water. "At the moment, we are unable to escape it," the professor continued. "Someone will need to equip the safety search gear I invented and come to rescue us. Oh, and tell Whetton to remember-"

"Cah-lick!" They stared at the snail, as the call disconnected in the middle of the professor's sentence.

"So they are all in that weird mist, huh?" Sanji said as he finished his cigarette and made sure it was out, before putting the end in his pocket.

"So, what should we do?" Kia asked, looking at Nami.

"Isn't it obvious?" she replied. "We go inside the mist and get them."

"Just a minute," Mayor Whetton said. "I already told you, you must have my permission to go in there."

Nami ignored him, and turned to his grandson Blake. "Hey there," she said sweetly, "where is the safety gear the professor was talking about?" she asked.

"Oh, here you go," he answered with a smile, handing her a box.

The four of them smiled, and Sanji and Chopper and Kia picked up the bags, and Nami carried the box as they all took off running. "Thank you!" they yelled.

The pirates got a pretty big head start before the others started yelling and running after them. "And here I thought they'd let us peacefully run off into the sunset," Sanji said with a smirk.

"There!" Nami said, and they stopped at a small rowboat. Kia moved the packages from the shopping out of the way, and Chopper changed to his heavy point, as he and Sanji stood waiting for the others to catch up, ready to fight to give Nami time to row out to the mist.

Before anything happened, however, a giant sea king rose out of the water, and saw Nami's small boat. It started following her, and she screamed as she rowed frantically.

"Nami! Try the safety gear!" Kia yelled to her, as the mayor and his men sat smirking, thinking the sea king would stop her, so they didn't have to.

Nami opened the box, finding nothing but a really long rope. Seeing the sea king in front of her roaring, the three of her friends yelled her name, and she covered her head with her hands.

The sea king roared again, thrashing its head, and then took off suddenly, and they all looked at each other in surprise. This story arc was not one Kia was really familiar with, not like the rest, and she couldn't remember what had happened to make the sea king leave, but was just glad it had.

"Chopper! Catch!" Nami flung the end of her clima-tact which had the end of the rope tied to it.

"What? I can't catch that!" Chopper exclaimed as he tried to catch it, and it hit the guard standing behind him, dropping the rope into his hands. "Hey! I did it!" he cheered, grinning at Kia, and she giggled.

"Will you help me tie it to my wrist?" he asked her and she scooted over to help. She wrapped it a few times around his wrist and tied it off.

"That's it!" the mayor said and they turned to look at him.

"The Mayor…" Phillip said highly, as guards pulled a curtain in front of him, "is changing!"

The curtains opened, and the mayor was now in a different mechanical suit. Blake ran for his electrical suit, and Chopper and Kia look apprehensively at each other. They both jumped up, as the mayor started shooting fire from the arms of his suit, and Sanji grabbed Kia from Chopper, helping her get behind a wall, then running back out to fight.

He ran towards the mayor, who had just caught Chopper in his flames, and Phillip shot a net out of a bazooka, trapping Sanji and making him fall to the ground, where the mayor shot flames at him too.

"No!" Kia yelled running out, and stopped as everyone else did, as Chopper's arm moved several times as the rope was tugged on from the other end.

"Pull it in!" the mayor said, and Phillip reached to take the rope from Chopper, who dodged every attempt.

"I promised I wouldn't let go of the rope until Nami was back!" he yelled to them, running away from them as Sanji stood up, and lit a cigarette.

"Ridiculous!" Whetton yelled at Chopper.

"We'll do whatever we have to, to ensure Nami comes back safely!" Sanji yelled, jumping out at Whetton, only to be blocked by Blake's suit, getting electrocuted once again. Kia ran over to him, as the guards pulled the boat in, and they saw a pirate in the boat full of treasure, not Nami.

"That's not good," Kia said quietly, and turned back to Sanji. "You okay?" she asked, helping him up.

"Yeah," he answered roughly.

"Chopper?" she asked.

"I'm okay," he replied.

They watched in defeat as the men all left for the rainbow tower. Sanji and Chopper looked pretty rough, and Kia ordered them to take it easy, and get their strength back before they did anything else, saying that Nami wouldn't have left the boat unless she found the crew, so she was probably with them now, and that made them feel better.

They watched in disbelief as the tower fell over into the water, and then extended all the way out to the mist. "So that's how they are going to get the treasure," she commented, and they could see a pile growing outside of the tower in the distance.

They sat there for awhile longer, and Sanji finally spoke. "It sure is quiet," he said.

"Yeah," Chopper replied. "I wonder if everyone is all right," he worried.

"Don't know," Sanji answered, and Chopper jumped up, angry.

"Don't know? How can you be so casual? Do you even care if they are all right?" he demanded.

"They don't need me to worry about them," Sanji dismissed, and Kia smiled.

"Yeah, they're strong, they can handle anything those goons try," she added.

"I'm more concerned about the mayor."

"Huh?" Chopper and Kia turned to look at Sanji in question.

"Well," he said, "if Luffy takes care of him, I won't be able to pay him back."

"I guess I understand that," Chopper admitted.

Sanji stood up then, looking over at the rainbow tower. "Coming?" he asked Chopper.

"Yeah," Chopper said as he stood up as well, and Kia followed suit.

"Kia dear, you should stay here," he said and she glared at him. "We don't want you to get hurt."

"If I always shy away from danger, than I can't call myself a straw hat pirate," she replied and started walking towards the tower, Sanji and Chopper quickly catching up to walk beside her.

They were almost there when a huge explosion roared out at the end of the tower that was connected to the mist, the tower cracked all over, and like a chain reaction, it slowly caved in and fell beneath the water.

"What happened?!" Chopper exclaimed. "The rainbow tower is gone!"

"Look over there!" Kia shouted over the dust, "the mayor!"

They looked where she pointed and they saw the mayor running to a huge stack of bags and chests full of treasure! He started pawing through it all, ranting about how it was all his, and he didn't have to share with anyone.

His back was to them, and Chopper growled, and changed into his full reindeer form, and ran for him. He head butted him, sending him rolling over the treasure before he stopped up against a chest. Sanji and Chopper were there to glare down at him.

"Hey," Sanji glowered. "Our friends were inside that mist. Would you like to explain what happened to them?" he asked threateningly. "You had better not tell us you were the only one who came back out!"

The mayor looked nervous, and it was obvious that that was exactly what happened.

"Answer me!" Sanji demanded, and Whetton tried to buy time stammering as he reached behind him, grabbing a piece of treasure, and lifted it with a tilt to use the sun to blind them, then he ran off.

He had a head start, but Kia just watched as Sanji and Chopper ran after him, and knew they would have no problem catching him. She looked down at the treasure, knowing that Nami would want some of it, plus they would need some money for supplies. Kia looked around herself, then bent down, opening her new bag, and filling it quickly. Then she stood, taking a moment to adjust to the new weight, and walked leisurely after the boys.

She came up to them as Sanji kicked part of a wall in demonstration of what he would do to the mayor, who replied in a shaky voice, "Hitting the mayor has a tax of 90 million beri! Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Sure," Sanji replied with a smirk. "Doesn't matter to me, because I'll just skip out on it anyway."

"What?" Whetton looked shocked. "But paying taxes is your duty!" he said aghast, and Sanji smiled.

"I'm a pirate," Sanji said. "Pirates aren't exactly tax paying citizens you know."

"Oh, yeah, I guess that's true," Whetton mumbled.

"I thought you were going to pay him back Sanji," Kia said. "Not chat with him."

"Yeah yeah, I'm getting there," Sanji replied, still smiling.

"Hey guys!" Chopper called. "Look! The mist is disappearing!"

They both looked out at the water, seeing the mist dispelling into the air.

Whetton started laughing, and doing the normal bad guy monologue, but the pirates weren't listening, wondering what was going to happen to their friends.

"Aah! Look!" Chopper yelled, pointing up, where right above the town there was a large rainbow hole in the sky.

"Wha-?" Sanji and Kia both said, looking dumbfounded. The looks turned to shock as the Going Merry came flying out of the hole in a huge gust of wind, sending it flying towards the water, as the wind ripped apart the large mansion on the hill at the top of the town.

"The Merry!" Chopper yelled excitedly. "I hope everyone is okay!"

"My mansion!" Whetton cried in anguish. "My money!"

There was a large crack, and they were horrified to see the mast of their ship break and fall over, crashing through the railing, as well as the figurehead snapping off, and bobbing in the water.

"Oh no!" Kia said, running forward.

"My beautiful ship!" Usopp wailed as he pulled himself up to the dock. And right behind him was everyone else!

"Luffy!" Kia shouted happily, and he grinned back at her.

"Hi Kia! Long time no see! Shi shi shi!"

She moved to give him a hug, and said, "You almost had me worried!" then moved to check on the others.

"You guys!" Chopper yelled, as Sanji yelled, "Nami my love!" and they both ran over.

"Nami!" Sanji called out as he came up to her, and she snarled, punching him in the head. He fell to the ground, very sad, and cried, "but why Nami dear?"

"I'm so annoyed, I could scream!" she yelled, and stalked away from them.

"Scary!" Chopper yelled, and tried to hide behind Kia, even though he was in his heavy point. Usopp came over and whispered to them.

 _"_ _ _All the treasure she had on deck got blown away and she isn't taking it very well. I wouldn't get close to her right now if I were you."__

They nodded, checking Sanji over to make sure he was okay, just as some marines showed up. Kia just watched, realizing as they were speaking that some sort of time travel had happened, and these were actually the kids that the crew met inside the mist. They gathered up the mayor, who basically called himself a pirate, and confiscated all the treasure.

They acted as if they were going to arrest us as well, but in the end, gave themselves an out so that we could leave. Luffy laughed and laughed, enjoying their company, and Kia made sure to study each of them so that she could draw them later.

She finally met the professor, as he helped them patch up the Merry, so that they could sail, and the crew finally set off. Luffy climbed up onto his special seat, and gave a huge sigh.

"That place was pretty cool, wasn't it?" he asked the rest of them, as they stood on deck together behind him.

"I've had more than enough of that pirate graveyard," Nami replied testily.

"Well it's not like I want to live there, but it would be nice to visit," he responded, and everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"I can't believe you enjoyed it!" Chopper exclaimed. "Besides, isn't all the treasure gone now?" he asked.

"Oh yeah! I forgot!" Kia said, and they looked at her. She smiled at Nami, and taking off her bag, she opened the flap to show them the inside.

"Kia!" Nami yelled, practically drooling. "Where did you get that?"

Kia giggled at the look on her face. "When Sanji and Chopper were chasing the mayor, I filled my bag up. I knew we needed some supplies, and there was a mountain of stuff, I didn't think anyone would miss it." She smiled as she looked at her friends. "Besides, don't pirates steal treasure?" she asked.

They all started laughing, giving her thumbs ups and congratulations.

She looked up at Luffy, "I have a suggestion Captain," she said, and everyone quieted down. "I think we should use this to get the Merry fixed."

Luffy looked at her in consideration, before a grin filled his face, and he stretched his arms to her, wrapping around her and rocketing over, shouting "Great idea!" He crashed into her, and they fell to the deck, though he made sure to turn so that she fell on top of him, and they laughed again.

"Maybe I'll keep a little to buy some celebratory steaks?" she said and Luffy grinned wider.

"Yeah!" he agreed, and they both laughed some more.

They had just stood again, when Zoro held his hands out. "Is that…rain?" he asked.

Everyone held their hands out as well, catching small pieces of … wood. "No way," Sanji said. "This ain't rain." Usopp started screaming, and Kia looked up. "That's interesting…" Sanji said.

"AAH!" several more screamed, Kia included as a gigantic ship came falling upside down towards them, right out of the sky!


	38. Chapter 38- There's an island up there?

The galleon splashed down near the Merry, causing waves to form, that almost capsized the crew. They held on for their lives, as debris kept falling around. Chopper wouldn't stop screaming, until he and Usopp crashed into each other, which somehow made them decide that it was all a dream, and they just gave up and laid down on the deck.

Once Usopp decided to open his eyes, he found himself with a face full of a skeleton that had fallen as well, and he quickly threw it away from himself. Unfortunately, he threw it right at Nami, whose screaming at that slight brought Sanji's wrath upon Usopp. Needless to say, there was quite a ruckus, even after the sea had finally calmed.

Luffy was the first to speak, giving voice to the thought each of us were asking. "All right. Why did a ship just fall out of the sky?" he asked as he stared up at the clouds.

"Uh, Captain error?" Sanji guessed.

"The sky is clear," Zoro stated. "Who knows?"

"Why did I come to the Grand Line?" Usopp muttered as he paced the deck.

"This is scary," Chopper whined in Kia's ear, as he hugged her tightly. The poor guy was shaking, and Kia patted his back.

"Don't think of it like that Chopper," she said. "Think of it as an adventure."

"How?" he asked, and she smiled as his shaking stopped.

"Well, how many people can say that at the start of their adventure, they saw a ship fall from the sky?" she asked.

"Well, not many, that's for sure," he said as he leaned back to look at her face. Then rushed forward again in a hug, "but it's still kinda scary."

"Huh," Nami said to herself, and they all looked over.

"What is it?" Sanji asked. "You okay? Robin?" he asked checking on each of them. Kia pouted slightly, as she realized this sister idea of Luffy's was really taking hold. It made Zoro a lot nicer and more helpful, but it also made Sanji think of Kia almost as an afterthought, after the other two. She didn't mind much, and it was probably a good thing, but it made her a little sad. The attention had made her feel special.

"Uh, I think the log pose is broken," Nami answered. "It's pointing straight into the sky!"

"No Miss Navigator, the log pose is not broken. The log pose registers an island with a strong magnetic pull and the needle is reflecting that. If the needle is pointing up… then it must be pointing toward Sky Island," Robin answered, still looking up.

"Sky Island?" everyone repeated.

"See?" Kia said quietly to Chopper, "Adventure!"

"There's a floating island up there?" Luffy asked, looking excited.

"That's ridiculous," Zoro said with a blank expression, and he looked up again. "I don't see anything but sky."

"That's not exactly how it works," Robin answered. "It's not just an island above us, but an entire ocean."

"No way," Nami muttered.

Sanji looked on, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm… still confused," he said.

"Yeah!" Luffy shouted. "Raise the sails, and set our course for sky island!"

"Set the rudder and point the bow into the sky!" Usopp chimed in, no longer scared.

Robin took that moment to cover Luffy's mouth with a few extra hands, and Usopp started crying as he realized what he had just been saying.

"Did it finally hit you?" Sanji asked. "You know, how we can't fly and all that?"

"I'm sure we can make it somehow," Kia added, and Luffy's grin was back as he turned to her. "But… we'll need more information so our navigator can set a course."

"Come to think of it," Robin said. "The only thing I know about Sky Island is from word of mouth, rumor. I've never actually seen it."

"Of course not!" Nami looked at both of the women in exasperation. "Because it's a lie! The log pose is simply broken, that's all. Islands don't float in the sky."

"Not exactly-" Robin started just as Kia said, "Nami, look-" they both stopped, and smiled, and Robin gestured for Kia to continue.

"Remember what everyone has told us since we came to the Grand Line? The only thing we can trust is the log pose. This is the sea where anything can happen, right? So instead of trying to fix something that is working fine, we should be focusing on trying to find a way to follow our log pose."

"Yes," Robin agreed and nodded. "That needle is pointing toward an island, I'd bet my life on it."

Kia glanced around, then turned back to Robin. "You want to see what you can find out from our friend here?" she asked pointing to the skeleton. "I'll go with the Captain and see if we can find anything else in the wreckage around us."

"Very well," Robin replied, and headed towards the skeleton as Kia put Chopper down and called for Luffy.

"Adventure time!" she said, and Usopp declared he was coming too. "Okay men, we need to find clues if we're going to get to Sky Island!"

"Yes Sir!" they said back to her, and the three headed out, jumping from piece of wreckage to piece of wreckage, looking for anything.

Chopper, meanwhile, hid his face behind the mast, not happy about what Robin was doing. Nami kept shaking the log pose, trying to get it to point somewhere else, and Zoro and Sanji watched in varying levels of interest as Robin pieced a skull back together.

"What do you hope to discover from a skeleton?" Zoro asked.

"Don't know," Robin answered without looking up. We'll have to see if he has anything to tell us."

Zoro grumbled, looking around. "I hope Luffy isn't getting into trouble," he said.

"Don't worry," Chopper said. "Kia and Usopp are with him."

"That makes it worse, Kia gets him riled up," Zoro muttered.

"And done," Robin said as she put the skull down. Sanji was quite impressed.

"Hey, looks good as new," he praised. "But what are these holes from? A bullet, or a spear?"

"Not quite, but good guess," she answered. "I believe they are from a medical practice called craterization, right Doctor?" she asked Chopper.

Chopper looked over, and nodded. "An ancient practice where they drilled holes in the skull to remove a foreign mass like a tumor. The resulting crater is where the name came from," he answered.

"Based on that knowledge, I estimate this man to have lived about 200 years ago. I can also tell you that he was in his thirties when he died. It must have been during his voyage on the galleon that he died, however that happened, I cannot say."

The others looked at her, impressed and surprised, but she wasn't finished. "Compared to his bones, his teeth are in surprisingly good condition, because he rubbed tar on them. It was a common practice in the South Blue to keep out bacterial infections, and considering the history of that region, I'd guess he was with an exploratory party." She grabbed a book, flipping through the pages, until she came to a section about a ship called the St. Briss.

"Here it is," she said, and the others crowded closer. "The St. Briss was launched 208 years ago."

"That's it." Nami sounded surprised. "That's the ship that fell on us!"

"Yes," Zoro agreed. "I recognize that figurehead."

"It's amazing what you can tell from old bones!" Nami said, giving Robin a smile.

"Dead men may tell no tales, but everything around them does." Robin said. "If that ship was from an exploratory party, there must be more information on board."

* * *

Kia wasn't quite as adept as Luffy and Usopp in jumping from the pieces of the wreck, but she did a much better job of exploring, at least at first. Soon however, Luffy was tossing her to each new piece of wreckage, and most of them couldn't hold up to the extra weight, and sank.

Then she somehow got roped into a game of red light/ green light, which was admittedly, pretty fun. She got Luffy back by staying red light long enough that the piece he was standing on began sinking, and he freaked out and moved, losing the game.

"We'd better check that last piece before it sinks," she said and they all headed to jump over. "Wait, Luffy," she said, before he could jump over. "If it sinks quickly, you could be in trouble, so let me go first."

"Okay, Kia," he said cheerfully, and she jumped over.

"It seems…" she started, and Luffy jumped over to join her, "okay," she finished. "Why do I bother?" she muttered.

"I just don't know," Luffy answered, and she grinned at him.

"You take that side, I'll take this side."

"Got it," he answered and they split up.

A few minutes later Luffy found something, and he gave a whoop and ran back out to where he could see Usopp. "Hey Usopp! Look what I found!" he shouted. Seeing Kia, over with Usopp, he smiled even bigger, excited that he was the one who had found something. He started walking over so that he could jump over to them, and stopped as he tried to understand what they were yelling at him.

He could see them waving their arms frantically, and he quickly looked behind him, but there was nothing there. "What?" he called back, and went to move closer, when he just dropped, no longer strong enough to continue. "AAH! HELP ME!" he yelled, as he found himself in the water. It didn't cover him completely, but the piece of ship he was on was rapidly sinking into the water.

"Usopp, hold my stuff!" Kia yelled, reaching down to pull her shoes off, when she heard the splash. She looked up to see Usopp already in the water and halfway to Luffy. She looked beside her, and there was his bag and shoes. He was much quicker than she had been.

Kia could see him grab Luffy and head towards the Merry, so she picked up his things, and started jumping back. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to let her return dry, so she had to jump into the water, and swim to the rope ladder.

Zoro moved Kia out of the way as she got to the top, and climbed halfway down the ladder in order to haul Luffy up, and finally they were all back aboard the Merry, while Nami lectured them.

Luffy stood up, panting, a huge grin on his face as he looked at everyone. "You won't believe it! I did it!" he said. "I found the most incredible thing!" he held out a rolled up paper, and unrolled it for all of them to see.

It was a map of an island, with clouds all around it. "A map of the sky island?" everyone asked.

"Yep!" Luffy answered, pleased.

"It's called, Skypiea?" Nami asked as she took the map to look at it more closely. "It really is true then, there really is an island up there?" she asked, amazed.

"Wahoo!" Luffy shouted, and he and Usopp and Chopper all started dancing and shouting about the sky island.

"Hold on a minute you guys," Nami called out. "We still don't know how to get there, if it even is possible, not to mention that there are a lot of fake treasure maps out there in circulation…"

"Aaah…" the three of them deflated right before her eyes, looking like lost puppies, and Nami sweat-dropped.

"Uh, I mean, sure it's real! Its gotta be! But," her voice became harsh as she chewed Luffy out. "We still have no idea how to get there, and this map isn't going to help with that!"

"You're a navigator, navigate us a way!" he yelled back.

"What?! I can't just make something happen out of thin air!"

Everyone watched, as Nami finally got fed up, and punched Luffy in the head, making him fall. Kia sat down on the stairs with Robin, waiting for them to come to a decision.

"Are you all right?" Robin asked quietly.

"Yes," Kia replied. "Just tired."

"Oh right, you were on watch last night, weren't you?"

"Yes. And it's been a pretty eventful morning so far."

They tuned back in to hear Nami tell everyone that they would need to salvage the ship that had sunk.

"Salvage!" Luffy and Usopp yelled, carrying their fishing gear.

"Not with that!" Zoro yelled at them.

"Salvage?" Chopper asked Robin and Kia.

"Yes," Robin answered. "But we won't be able to pull the ship up. They'll have to come up with a more refined plan."

Kia stood up, and called out. "Usopp? Need some help?"

* * *

"We'll need something bigger for Luffy," Kia commented as Usopp finished building a barrel scuba gear. "Just having the air is good enough for Sanji and Zoro, but Luffy can't touch the water, remember?"

"Right, right…" he said, thinking.

"You work on that, I'll do another just like the first," she said, and he nodded as he worked through several ideas in his head. He finally decided to use another barrel to cover Luffy's legs, along with the waterproof material he had used for the arms, for Luffy's feet. Then they worked together to create the air hoses, and just like that, they were done.

Kia was hoping that by helping, the crew would have some extra time before the other salvage crew showed up, Not to mention she really enjoyed spending time with Usopp in his element. He was interested in almost everything, so he could talk about anything.

They brought the scuba gear out to the deck, and helped the guys suit up. Kia explained how it was going to work, and how they would get air. She then stressed how important it was to keep their air hoses free from getting tangled.

Usopp took over, describing how they could talk to the crew still on the ship, and to be sure to let them know how things were going so they didn't worry. At that point, Kia was pretty sure all three of them were no longer listening.

"I've done stuff way more dangerous, but this is still an adventure! And… I can't think of any of them right now." Luffy said.

"Nami!" Sanji sang out. "I swear to find the answers you seek or I will refuse to return!"

"I'll hold you to that," Nami said with a smile.

"You'll be safe!" Usopp said proudly. These barrels are my special design!"

"Good luck!" Kia said and the guys jumped over the side of the ship. Chopper went into his heavy point, and grabbed a hold of the brake lever, while speaking into the communicator hose.

"Can you guys call off?" he asked.

"This is Luffy!" Luffy said happily. "There's a ton of monsters down here."

"Wrong." Zoro said. "They're giant sea snakes."

"This is Sanji. And… they're staring at me," Sanji said.

"Keep going!" Nami called. "Chopper, hold that brake tightly!"

"I'm so glad I didn't have to go," Usopp said quietly.

"I'm going to just sit down for a minute," Kia said, and went over to the side of the ship. If Zoro could sleep there, she was sure she could grab a quick nap too.

The next thing Kia knew, she was jostled awake, as the ship was rocking precariously. "Huh? What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Does anyone else see the monster the size of an island in front of us?" Nami screeched.

"It… it's… a GIANT TURTLE!" Kia yelled, suddenly very awake.

"There's no monster!" Usopp told himself, as he covered his eyes. "This is all a very stupid dream that we're all having together for some reason."

"A dream, right! Phew!"

"You know, our boys just got eaten," Robin informed them, and they all looked at the mouth of the turtle, to see the lines from the salvaging crew, as well as the air hose lines from the Merry. "Yep, most definitely eaten."

Chopper started running and crying. "A sea monster is eating my friends! What am I going to do! Aaah!"

"This is your fault!" Usopp pointed at Nami. "You said it would be safe! Do you think this is safe?!"

"You're right…" Nami was crestfallen, before looking up defiantly. "Sorry!" she shouted out towards the guys, and Usopp backed away.

The turtle began moving, dragging the two ships behind it, and they all panicked, though some more than others.

"We'll have to cut the air hoses," Robin said. "Or the turtle will drag us underwater."

She looked over, to see the crew of the Masira pirates were pumping themselves up to go and save their captain.

"They're right!" Usopp said in agreement with the other crew. "It's challenging times like these that prove what we're made of!"

"Usopp!" Nami called. "Cut the air hoses, and get us out of here!"

"This is what we're made of?" Kia asked as she glared at Nami, and she smiled sheepishly back at Kia, as Chopper called out, "Coward!"

They started thinking of another plan, when the entire sky suddenly went dark as night. They all looked up and around, wondering how it could have happened.

"That's the craziest cloud cover I've ever seen," Kia stated, just as Nami pulled out a watch.

"It's impossible. No cloud can do that, and it's too early to be this dark."

"Remember, nothing is impossible," Kia said, and Nami glared at her.

Before she could say anything however, Luffy was thrown up onto the deck, followed by Zoro and Sanji climbing aboard.

"Set sail, now!" Zoro said, panting.

"Yeah, that guy is crazy!" Sanji added.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" Usopp said, weeping happily. "Let's hurry and get away from this turtle before anything else happens."

"No," Zoro said, pointing at us. "It wasn't a turtle, it was a monkey! A crazy sea monkey, though I shouldn't be surprised that he and Luffy got along as well as they did."

"Well, they're both monkeys," Sanji added.

"When he saw that we had taken stuff from the ship, he flipped out and went on a rampage!"

"I've never seen a primate act that way!" Sanji said incredulously.

"Yeah, that's the captain of the salvage ship, Masira. But how did you escape form the giant sea turtle?" Usopp asked. "He was really mad… though now he's just sitting there like a statue…"

Zoro and Sanji finally turned around, and saw the giant turtle. "We were inside that thing's mouth?" they yelled together.

"Nothing gets past you guys," Kia said sardonically, and they each gave her an angry look. Luffy finally recuperated, and stood up.

"Hey guys? When did night happen?"

"Attention all hands!" Zoro yelled. "We're getting out of here now! Stations!"

"Not so fast!" Masira jumped aboard the Merry. "Give me back what you stole!"

"Captain!" someone from his ship yelled. "Behind you!"

Everyone turned, looking behind Masira, and Kia could admit, it was really frightening even knowing what the huge shadows were. But, knowing what they were, she didn't freak out, thinking she could help explain it to the others.

But, she didn't get the chance, as everyone screamed and jumped into action, rowing harder and faster than she thought possible. She was thrown off her feet, and rolled over, hitting the stairs with her head.

"Ow! Guys! Stop!"

But nothing would stop them, as they rowed faster, until they finally passed out of the cloud cover, and the sunshine's brightness stopped the rowing. Everyone fell over, exhausted and panting, as the ship slowly came to a stop on its own.

"It couldn't have been real…" she heard Zoro mutter.

"The Grand Line, is an endless parade of mystery and annoyance," Sanji stated after he lit a new cigarette. "Just look at the nightmare of getting through today."

"First there was that galleon that fell on us," Zoro started.

"the log pose's needle started pointing to the sky," Nami added.

"A psycho makeup-wearing gorilla showed up and blocks our way," Usopp said.

"A giant sea turtle came and ate our salvage ship," Chopper said.

"The sky became dark as night," Robin added, deep in thought.

"Because the biggest monsters I've ever seen blocked out the sun!" Luffy finished.

"Oh please!" Kia yelled, and everyone looked to her in surprise.

"Even I was intimidated by them," Masira said, and Kia turned to glare at him.

"Get. Off. Our. Ship... Now." Kia said slowly, with menace.

"Uh, yes Ma'am," he said, and he ran and jumped off the side of the ship.

"Whoa, Kia…" Luffy started, and she whirled around on him.

"I'll say it again. There is always an explanation." Everyone looked at her in surprise, and she tried to calm her anger, because she wasn't really mad at them, she was tired and now hurt, and was taking it out on them.

"What are you saying Kia?" Nami asked, and Kia just sat down where she was.

"Chopper? Can you check my head please? I hit it really hard on the stairs when I fell."

"Oh! I am sorry Kia! I'll check it out right now!" He ran and got his bag and came back to help her.

"I mean," she said to Nami in answer to her question, "you have to look at it as finding the solution, not just thinking it is impossible. For example… I agree with Luffy."

"What?" several of the crew asked in shock, and Luffy grinned.

"Yes, I agree that the sun was blocked, and that's why it was so dark. But," she said with a look at Luffy, "I don't think it was people that blocked it."

Luffy pouted. "Then what was it?"

"Well, my guess would be something closer to the sun than us, maybe something up in the sky? Weren't we trying to find information about a sky island? Couldn't it be that there are people there?"

"Hmm, an interesting theory," Robin remarked, thinking it through. "It is possible, that the clouds such a place would be on, __would__ be dense enough to block the light from the sun."

"But then why were they so huge?" Sanji asked.

"Look behind me," Kia said, and several of them leaned over to see behind her.

"All I see is your shadow," Luffy said.

"Oh, I get it. The people on sky island aren't that big, but being so far away, it made their shadows look gigantic," Sanji deduced with a smile.

"Obviously it's just a guess, but it does make sense," Robin added. "What we saw didn't have any features, like a giant would. It definitely could have been a shadow."

"Wow, Kia, I'm surprised you were able to stay calm enough to figure it out," Chopper said, as he put a salve on her head. "It will be sore, but nothing is broken," he added.

"Thanks Chopper," she said, and changed the subject. "Well guys, should we look at your treasure?" she asked, wanting to get the focus off herself.

She watched happily as Nami declared all of their findings as junk, even going so far as to crush the armor that Luffy brought back.

"But Nami! If you find armor, you have to put it on! It's the rule!" Luffy called after her retreating body.

Kia closed her eyes, knowing that Robin had taken the eternal pose to Jaya from Masira, and that they would soon be heading there. Now she just wanted a nap before they got there.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Luffy yelled out, and Kia slowly blinked her eyes open. It couldn't have been more than a minute, but she felt as if she had almost been asleep. "SET OUR COURSE TO JAYA!"

"Wait a second," Usopp said as he munched on a snack. "When we go to this Jaya place, won't our log pose reset? Then we won't be able to find our way to Skypiea."

"ALL HANDS FULL STOP!" Luffy shouted, and he ran over to get in Nami's face. "Wanna tell me why your messing with my head, Nami?" he demanded.

"I'm not. You're the genius that set our course for Jaya."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Well I didn't know it would ruin our plan to get to Skypiea!"

"It's not my fault you have the memory of a goldfish," Nami retorted. "The log pose has always worked that way."

"Yeah, guess so. Okay then, on to Skypiea!"

"How are we going to get there, Captain?" Nami asked.

"We'll probably have to ask for directions," Kia added.

"Maybe someone in Jaya would know," Luffy suggested.

"Very well, Jaya it is," Nami said.

"Our log pose shouldn't change if we only stay a very short time," Robin suggested. Perhaps we pull into port and leave again before the log pose adjusts?"

"That sounds like a good plan," Chopper and Usopp agreed with their mouths full.

"All right, full sail to Jaya people, and this time, it's for real!"

Kia smiled and closed her eyes again. She quickly fell asleep, and didn't stir as Sanji brought out another tray of food for the women.


	39. Chapter 39- Mock Town

Ace was growing tired, and hungry. He kept his eye out for somewhere to stop, to resupply and rest. That's when he smelled something delicious. He didn't even pause, just changed course to follow the scent. There was a large pirate ship in front of him, and it looked as though they were having a party. Well, he'd crashed worse places, and he tied off his skiff and jumped aboard.

It was an extremely large crew, one he didn't recognize, but due to the numbers, he was able to move in and sit down without any trouble. He began eating quickly, but not because he feared being caught. He was used to eating fast, or not eating at all.

He was on his third helping when he heard a woman say something about Luffy, and as he focused,he heard the captain say something about wanting to find Luffy, which made all his big brother instincts stand on end.

"If you're looking for Luffy, I can tell you where he is," he said, without turning around.

"See? This guy over here is going to tell us where he is. Problem solved… Hey hold on!" the captain shouted, and Ace looked up with a smirk as the others all gaped at him, the music stopped, and the party basically froze.

"Who the hell are you?" the captain demanded.

Ace stood, making sure his hat was on straight, and turned. "Sorry for crashing your party," he said. "but I simply couldn't ignore the delicious aromas of your feast. My name is Portgas D. Ace, but you may call me Ace," and he gave a bow.

"Oh, no need to be so formal,"the captain said with a smile, so Ace shrugged and grabbed a piece of meat, taking a large bite. The captain seemed to realize that he hadn't gotten the answers he wanted, and lashed out.

"I mean, what are you doing here, you idiot? I couldn't care less what your name is, Mr. Portgas D. Ace!"

"Uh, Captain?" A crew member said in hushed tones. "He's the fire fist! Fire fist Ace! Commander of the Whitebeard pirates' second unit!" The rest of the crew look on in awe, and Ace just continued to eat.

"Whitebeard?" several of them asked in shock, and Ace took that as a good sign.

"Ah, so you know the old man, huh?" and his head fell to the side as he started snoring.

"He fell asleep?" the crew cried out.

"Captain, this is our chance! If we take out Fire fist Ace, we'll be famous!"

"What? No!" the captain shouted back, glaring at the man sprawled sleeping on his deck. "This is one lesson you must all learn. Listen, and listen well. __Never__ mess with the Whitebeard pirates! Whitebeard is without a doubt, the strongest pirate alive, and a merciless killer. In other words, DON"T CROSS HIM!"

The captain prowled the deck, gazing at his crew, then down at the sleeping man. "Even if we were able to kill Fire fist Ace while he sleeps, Whitebeard would avenge the murder of one of his own with the fury of a thunderstorm!"

A snort altered the crew, and they watched in surprise as Ace sat back up and continued eating as if nothing had happened. "Sorry about that, must have dozed off," he said. He looked around, confused. "Hey, why the long faces, this is a party isn't it?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, it is," the captain replied. "Men! Commence having fun again!" he called out, and the music started back up.

"So, Ace… what brings you way out here? I thought the Whitebeard pirates were in the New World?" the captain asked him.

"Whoa! You guys have a lion?" Ace shouted, and proceeded to make a flaming hoop for the lion to jump through.

After the lion showed off his stuff, and the crew had settled back down to eat more, Ace decided it couldn't hurt to talk, after all he had been on his own for while, and missed the company.

"I'm out here searching for one of my crew members," Ace said solemnly. "He did the unforgivable."

"Oh no!" the lion tamer yelled. "He stole your pet?"

"No you idiot," the captain shouted. "He killed a fellow crew member!"

"That's right, he did," Ace continued. "He formed his own crew, and is now causing havoc and ruin everywhere he goes. I stopped at one island that his crew had completely destroyed, killing people for no reason."

"Oh, that's bad," someone said. "Even Captain Buggy doesn't do that."

"Captain Buggy?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Buggy demanded.

"Nothing, just wanted to make sure I got it right, so I can tell others I meet of the generous, yet dangerous Captain Buggy and his crew," he said with a smirk as the others all cheered and laughed.

"That's right!" Buggy agreed.

"Anyway, then I met this girl," Ace paused as there were several hoots and cheers at that, "and this pirate had killed her friend. She looked so sad, but more, she was angry- like she wanted revenge- and then, I realized that I wanted my revenge to not just be about me, but about her too. So, I promised her, I would stop him. And here I am, still on the hunt," Ace said, as he filled his plate again.

"So Ace…" one of the crew asked. "Is she pretty?"

"Huh? Who?"

"The girl you mentioned," the pirate said.

"Oh, Kiana? Yeah… she's pretty."

"Well, how pretty?"

"Yeah man, give us the juicy details!" several others called out, and Ace blanched.

"Uh, well, so after I left that island, I ran into her again, on a different island. Only this time, she had joined a pirate crew!"

The crew's response was varied and yet similar, egging him on, so Ace continued. It was somewhat nice to talk about all this to complete strangers, somehow freeing. "Yeah, not only that, they were trying to fit in with the local citizens, but the crew has gotten their women dancer girl outfits instead.

He laughed along with them, telling a few more details about his time with Luffy's crew, without divulging any pertinent information. And all too soon, he decided he was full, and went on his way.

There was quite a time before he started thinking about other things besides Kiana though. He wondered if she still had his vivre card. It had been an impulse to give it to her, but all he had thought at the time, was that he wouldn't mind being reunited some day.

* * *

"ACHOO!"

"Wow, Kia, are you sick?" Chopper asked as he felt her forehead. "That was a lot of sneezing!"

"Huh, I guess someone was talking about me," she answered. "Maybe it was one of my sisters, so I should talk about them, and get revenge," she said with a smile.

"Here, I saved you some lunch," he said, handing her a small tray of fritters.

"Thanks Chopper," she said, and dug in. Usopp and Luffy were still eating also, making her think that she hadn't been asleep for long, but she did feel better.

"I keep thinking about Jaya," he said, as he stretched out in front of her. "I wonder what kind of island it is."

"I heard, it's called the land of meat!" Luffy said, and Usopp scoffed.

"You don't know that Luffy. You just wish it was, because we've been eating the same old junk for days."

Kia winced, and scooted away from them, just as Sanji came up and took the dishes out of their hands. "Don't like it? Don't eat it. I'll just give these to Robin and Nami," he said as he took off, with Luffy and Usopp right on his heels. However, no apology could sway him, and eventually the boys gave up in getting their food back.

Luffy climbed up the figurehead, laying back and enjoying the nice weather.

"Shouldn't we be there by now?" Zoro asked.

"Yes," Nami answered. "With it being so clear, we should have seen the coastline over an hour ago."

"If we're that close, then I guess I'll go shower, and wake myself up," Kia said as she stood.

"Hmm, good idea,"Nami said. "I'll join you."

"Ahem," Kia cleared her throat, giving Nami a pointed look and nodding over towards Sanji, who looked like his nose was bleeding.

"Ah, right. Not __in__ the shower, Kia, just you know, getting cleaned up."

"Great," Kia replied, seeing Sanji deflate.

Usopp was nice enough to draw water for them and they each had a quick shower. Kia made hers frightfully cold, hoping to get her second wind… or third. True, she could just stay on the boat, but this was a momentous occasion, and she really wanted to see all of the big events first hand.

"Hmm, now what are you going to wear?" Nami murmured, looking through the closet.

"Me? I'll wear my jeans and a t-shirt, what else?"

"Uh-uh Kia, remember? You said I could pick your outfit for you, for the next island," she reminded her friend.

"Well yes, but that was for like, an uninhabited island, not this one."

"Oh I see," Nami glared at her. "You think I'll embarrass you?"

"No," she answered truthfully. "But you are much more willing to show off your assets than I am."

"Well sure, but I'm not going to give your something that I would wear," Nami replied, still looking through the clothes. "Aha!" she cried. "This one!" She held out one of the outfits Kia had bought back on Luluka.

"I know I was happy when I bought it, but now…" Kia grimaced as she spoke. The capri pants were fine, but the top was a halter style, that left her shoulders bare and was pretty low cut.

"What is it?" Nami asked.

"Let's just say I have a bad feeling about this," Kia answered, as she got dressed. She did make Nami happy however when she asked for help with her hair, as she decided to wear it down. It had grown longer in the time she had been in Drum Kingdom, and the waves were still there, though her bangs had grown out.

"I like this length," Nami said, as she brushed through it. "There are so many options! Not like mine," she said.

"You'd look good with long hair," Kia said, and she smiled.

"I know, I remember that picture you drew."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Kia replied. "So, you're wanting to go ashore?" she asked as she put on her sandals.

"Yes, I want to talk to people about how to get to the island in the clouds. There's a definite chance that it's up there," Nami answered.

"Well, we don't have time for shopping trips on this island, but we'll definitely have to on the island up there. It would be a once in a lifetime chance!" Kia said with a grin, and Nami finished and they headed back out to the deck.

"They've been shot!" they heard Chopper yell, and headed in his direction.

"I don't think they could have been shot, Chopper, I didn't hear any gun fire," Usopp said from the crow's nest.

"I found a bullet!" Chopper held it up for him to see. "And judging by the trajectory, it came from that direction!"

The girls both looked towards the island that still hadn't shown itself, and Nami spoke to Usopp as Kia walked up to Chopper.

"Who's been shot?" Kia asked, and Chopper pointed to Luffy, who was holding a few seagulls and yelling to Sanji about dinner.

"Are you saying shots came from an island we can't even see yet?" Nami asked. "That's impossible."

"Ahem," Kia cleared her throat again, and Nami looked over. "I mean, highly improbable," she corrected.

"I saw it happen with my own eyes!" Chopper said, and looked back at Kia, and she wondered if he remembered the sharpshooter, Van Ogre, on the Blackbeard pirates' crew.

The crew were all quiet as they eventually came upon the island, and everyone was excited at how nice and resort-like it looked. And then, they started to notice the other details.

"Uh, I think I'm losing it, but those look like pirate ships docked over there," Usopp said.

"No way," Nami countered, as a man was thrown to the dock as they approached. Kia saw who had thrown him, recognizing Jesus Burgess, also a part of Blackbeard's crew, and she moved behind Usopp, turning so that she wouldn't be noticed.

"What's the matter with this place?" Nami yelled. "That's it, I'm not going ashore. Luffy? You know what information we need, right?"

"Yep! This looks like my kind of town!"

"We'll fit in just fine," Zoro added, as he jumped onto the dock after Luffy.

"Hey Luffy, I get to come, right?" Kia asked, and both Luffy and Zoro brightened as she jumped onto the dock.

"All right Kia!" Luffy cheered. "Though, you look different," he said, studying her.

"I look okay though, right? I wore my hair down, so no one will recognize me," she said.

"Yeah, you look nice, just different," he replied.

"Who's going to recognize you?" Zoro asked skeptically.

"You never know," she answered with a shrug, and they began to walk away.

"There's no way that those two can last even an hour without getting into trouble, and Kia can be even worse, she's like a magnet!" they heard Nami say, and Kia grinned.

"Looking at this place, I'd say fifteen minutes is a generous assumption," Usopp added.

"You think so? Crap, I'd better go with them!" and Nami jumped off and ran up the dock. "Wait for me!"

They stopped, and waited for her to join them. Zoro looked from Kia to Nami and back again. "Since when did you start wearing Nami's clothes?" Zoro asked Kia bluntly. "You know what kind of attention that will bring us?"

"The pirate kind?" she asked innocently, and he scowled at her.

"Don't be a jerk Zoro, Kia looks great!" Nami said cheerfully. "Although, make sure you protect her from any bad attention," she added in what Kia assumed she wasn't supposed to hear.

"Hey, Kia can take care of herself," Kia said hotly. "And besides, I don't think Luffy would stand for any bad attention, do you? Brothers protect their sisters from attention, right?"

"Yeah!" Luffy yelled, getting fired up at the idea of a fight.

"That's true, though we really don't want to get into any fights," Nami said. "If either of you cause problems, we'll have to get out of town, and if that happens, we'll never figure out how to get to sky island."

"Yeah, yeah," Luffy said, dejected.

"Promise me Luffy, no fighting." Nami glared, and Luffy looked disappointed.

"All right, I promise."

Kia gave Luffy's back a pat in consolation, as a man fell off his horse right in front of them. Kia was quick to step behind Luffy and turn away, listening as Luffy helped him up, and got an apple in return. An explosion happened then behind them, and the crowd yelled about an apple that exploded once it was bitten into.

"Luffy! Spit it out! Spit it out right now!" Nami shouted, grabbing his throat.

"Don't worry, it would have exploded on the first bite if it was a bad one," the man wheezed. "You're lucky."

Luffy continued walking on, with Nami complaining about the insanity of the town, and yelling at Luffy's nonchalant attitude. "You should care more! You were almost killed for no reason at all!"

"Oh, well that was bound to happen sooner or later," Luffy said, shrugging off the worry.

Jesus Burgess was now up on the roof, laughing hysterically, flexing and showing off his muscles. The four of them kept walking, and Kia tilted her head a little, having her hair hang in a curtain, covering her face from his view. She noticed Zoro glancing at her in question, but she ignored it, and kept walking.

The people around them spoke to each other about Burgess, wondering who he was, and one man said he wanted to be the ultimate fighting champion, which stopped both Luffy and Zoro in their tracks, and Nami and Kia had to pull them along.

They finally made it to the resort at the west end of town, and were stopped by a small man who was obviously the proprietor. "Excuse me, I have to ask you all to leave! The entire hotel has been rented out by Mr. Bellamy and his guests, and he asked that I tell others, like yourselves, to find different accommodations."

"So one man rented out this whole place?" Zoro asked.

"So you must go! If Mr. Bellamy sees you here, I would lose my head!"

"Sounds like we'd better go guys," Kia said, turning away.

"What's going on here?" they could see a man speak, as he and a woman were walking in towards them. "Who are these scumbags, and what are they doing in our hotel?"

"Mr. Sarquiss, welcome back! I was just informing them that there was no room available, and they were just leaving," the owner said nervously.

"Who cares, just get rid of them!" the woman spoke now. "We're paying a lot of money to have this place to ourselves!"

Sarquiss came up to Luffy, looking down on him. "She's right, so get out of here, before I throw you out."

Luffy looked back for a moment, before turning to his friends. "Hey guys, would anyone mind if I beat him up?" he asked.

Sarquiss laughed. "You're going to beat me up? Hilarious. If you want me to take you seriously, you should stop wearing rags. Here," he said, as he reached in his pocket and threw money down at Luffy's feet. "Go buy some new rags, so you don't look like an orphan."

"Sarquiss, you're wasting your money on these losers," the woman said.

"Yeah, but they are in such desperate need," he said with another laugh.

"I'll take free money," Luffy said with a shrug, but Nami grabbed his face and pulled him away, Zoro and Kia following.

"See you around… sweetheart," Sarquiss said, adding the last bit as Nami passed by. Kia turned back to give him a disgusted look, and continued following the others back into the heart of town.

"I think… I could use a drink," she suggested, and Zoro and Nami quickly agreed, so they headed to the nearest tavern.

As they went in the doors, Kia could already see Blackbeard's huge body on a stool, with four stools open to his left. She immediately went to the furthest one away, and Nami sat next to her, fuming. They ordered drinks, and Nami practically downed hers in one go.

"Man! That really pisses me off!" she growled, slamming the empty cup back on the counter. She looked over, noticing Kia was angled away, and pulled her shoulder to turn her around. "Kia, why aren't you more angry? That guy was a total sleaze."

"Which makes him not worth the time thinking about him," Kia replied, sipping her own drink. "Guys like that are a dime a dozen, so I forgot him as soon as I could."

Zoro glanced over and gave her a smirk, then went back to his drinking. The bartender struck up a conversation with Nami, hoping to calm her down, and she began asking questions just as Luffy and Blackbeard each slammed a fist down on the counter and yelled about the cherry pies they were both eating, though Blackbeard found it delicious, and Luffy was less then impressed.

Having heard what the other said, they glared at each other, then thinking better of it, grabbed their mugs to take a drink, only to slam them down with the same result, though this time Luffy was happy, and Blackbeard was not, so they glared at each other again.

"I'm not the cook here, so I don't care," the barkeeper said.

Luffy turned back, pushing the pie out of the way. "Hey pops, I'll take fifty steaks to go," he said with a smile.

"And I'll take fifty-one of those delicious cherry pies to go," Blackbeard said. Nami looked over at Kia, rolling her eyes at the scene in front of her, only to see that Kia was hiding her face and acting bored.

 _"_ _ _What are you doing?"__ she asked quietly.

 _"_ _ _Nothing,"__ Kia replied just as softly. Nami looked at her like she was crazy, and turned back to watch Luffy.

"Eighty!" Luffy yelled.

"One Hundred!" came the response, and then they were in each others face, yelling, "I'm going to beat the living crap out of you!"

"Do you even know what you're fighting about?!" Zoro yelled, Blackbeard smiled, and Kia started stewing. She knew she could tell Luffy who he was, and wanting to help his brother, he'd probably try to stop him. But… his whole crew was here with him, and he had his dark-dark fruit powers already. Ace couldn't beat him, even one on one.

At the same time, Kia had still been having nightmares about Judith's death, and it was still painful enough, that she hadn't been able to even draw her. She died because of the man beside them, because he felt like it, and it not only scared Kia- it pissed her off.

The barkeep stopped their argument, and Blackbeard left before Kia had the chance to make a decision, her hands were in fists, and she was practically shaking. The others didn't notice as they had turned back to the bar, and as Blackbeard left, another man walked in. Bellamy.

"I'm looking for a pirate who wears a straw hat," he called out, and had them all turning to look at him. "You must be Straw Hat Luffy," he said as he walked towards Luffy.

"Who's this guy?" Luffy asked.

"Don't know, but sounds like he has a bone to pick with you," Zoro replied.

"He must be that Bellamy guy we heard about," Nami said.

"Yeah, the one who rented out the hotel we were at," Kia concluded.

Nami and Kia glanced around as the crowd in the bar began talking about both Luffy and Bellamy and their bounties.

"Seems the people here put a lot of stock in what a pirate's bounty is," Kia said quietly to Nami, as she picked up her drink again.

"Yeah, as if that has anything to do with how strong they actually are," she replied.

"Well this guy will learn pretty quickly that Luffy and Zoro are no pushovers," Kia said with a small smile.

They turned again as a group of people walked into the bar, and both Nami and Kia rolled our eyes this time. "Just great, the guys from earlier," Nami said. That guy Sarquiss cut someone with his huge weapon, because they were too late in offering their seats up. Then he turned to them and licked the blood. Both of the girls grimaced at the sight.

They turned back to watch as Luffy began drinking, and both tried to say something, but were too late. Bellamy reared back and pushed Luffy's face straight through the bar, starting a fight- and his group started laughing hysterically.

The laughter stopped, as Zoro was turned in his seat, a sword at Bellamy's throat.

"What are you doing, punk?" Bellamy asked.

"That's the question you should be asking yourself," Zoro answered, his voice low and menacing.

"Zoro, wait!" Nami said as she stood. "Don't start anything, because-"

"Quiet!" Zoro said harshly, interrupting her. "If this guy wants a fight, I'll give him one."

"Captain?" Kia asked, as Luffy stood up. "You okay?"

"So this is your backup?" Bellamy laughed. "A guy with a sword and two women?" He laughed again, and the three of them grit their teeth, ready to pounce if Luffy said the word.

"So," Luffy finally replied. "Are you ready to take me on?"

With that, the entire room started laughing, everyone convinced that he had just done the dumbest thing possible in challenging their current big shot. Bellamy laughed as well, as Luffy stood with his fists out, ready.

"You've got it all wrong kid, this isn't a fight, it's a test. Now come on, let's see how strong you are."

At his words, Luffy put his fists down, and Nami, worried about being run out of town, turned to the barkeeper. "Mister, we need any information you can give us on sky island!"

There was a quiet pause all through the room, then everyone burst into laughter again, this time at Nami. She didn't take it well, her face red, and her hands clenched into fists. Kia stood in front of her, blocking her sight from the meanest of the jabs, but it didn't do much except keep her from running out.

"You got me there kid," Bellamy said as he sat down, laughing. "I can't believe you guys are trying to find such a ridiculous legend! Of all the crazy currents in the Grand Line, one of the strangest is the knock up stream." He looked over at them, "looks like you don't have any information at all, do you?"

Kia stepped to Nami's side, putting her hand on her shoulder in support, and they both faced Bellamy together, behind Luffy and Zoro.

"Any ship that gets caught in the knock up stream, gets catapulted into the sky and later crashes back into the ocean. Years ago, sailors saw ships falling from the sky, and assumed there was an island up there. HA! Anything that seems supernatural always has a rational explanation. Anything a man can dream will eventually be explained, and let me tell you, the truth will hurt."

Kia watched as Luffy's hands loosened from their fists, the more that Bellamy spoke. As he spoke of pirates not needing dreams, about how the One Piece wasn't real, it became obvious that Luffy no longer wanted to fight.

Kia on the other hand, was a different story. The more Bellamy spoke, the more angry she got, and when he had finally stopped, and punched Luffy in the face, Kia stormed over and stood in front of her captain.

"You're a weak pirate," Bellamy said as Luffy fell.

"No," Kia replied, you're the weak one."

"What," he asked in a low voice.

"Luffy is strong because of his convictions. He knows who he is, and what he wants, and he adjusts based on his experiences. You, however, try to adjust your environment based on your desires. Deciding that things aren't real, because you haven't seen them? Imagining yourself strong because the people around you cower? Seeking approval from warlords-"

"Kia, that's enough," Luffy said, as he stood up. Kia stopped her tirade, glad that he said something, as she had been about to go off on Bellamy about Doflamingo, which would have been a mistake. She turned and stepped back towards Nami, who was looking at her in shock, but she just stood there, watching, realizing the mood in the room was really angry, and most of it was now directed at her.

"Get lost!" patrons started yelling, throwing their glasses and bottles over at the four of them. Others were egging Bellamy on, asking him to take care of them.

"You make the real pirates, us, look like trash!" Bellamy said with a smirk.

"Give the people what they want, Bellamy!" Sarquiss called. "Tear into them!"

"Luffy, Zoro, forget the promise, just get these guys already!" Nami yelled.

"Zoro," Luffy said quietly, and the other three all listened closely. "Whatever happens, don't fight back."

Nami was shocked, and Kia was beating herself up. __I had just made everything worse, and I hoped that they didn't get beaten worse because of my tirade.__ Nami and Kia stood there, as Luffy and Zoro were beaten with fists, chairs, bottles… anything that was on hand. She reached down and grabbed Luffy's hat from off the floor, holding it.

"Why are you guys just standing there? You can take these guys, I know it!" Nami yelled. Kia reached over and grabbed her hand, and she looked back at her. "Why, Kia?" she asked quietly and Kia just shook her head. They stood quietly then, waiting for the beating to stop.

"It's no use, sweetheart," Sarquiss said to Nami. "they've obviously realized they're out of their league. Refusing to fight a stronger opponent is disgraceful, but also smart."

"The navy is sure generous these days," someone else said. "Thirty million, for this guy?"

"So, you're weak and you have no pride," Bellamy said. "You refuse to get into a fight, and your head is filled with silly daydreams. They sound like children!" More laughter, from the room. "When I heard there was a thirty million bounty in town, I wondered what kind of bad ass he was. Needless to say, I'm more than a little disappointed." He filled his cheeks from his bottle, and spit it all over Luffy. "Get them out of my face!"

His men rushed over, one kicking Zoro across the room, the other pulling Luffy into the window. They both lay there, and though Kia knew they were okay, it was still difficult to see.

The girls moved over to check on them, when Sarquiss began speaking.

"Hey, sweet things, you keep hanging out with these losers, you'll never get anywhere. How about I buy you? You seem like simple girls, you can't fetch too high a price."

Nami turned back to glare at him, and Kia noticed Luffy's hand in a fist, so she knew he was okay, and, he was letting them handle this one.

"Did you just say you wanted to buy me?" Nami demanded. "I'm way too good for you, you're just a small time thug."

"Don't be too harsh Nami," Kia said, as she picked Zoro up, and threw his arm over her shoulder. "Paying for one is obviously the only way he can get a woman to be near him." She heard a few snickers at that, though they didn't last long. She knew that was going to make him mad, but she didn't care, and headed out the door with Zoro , Nami following- dragging Luffy.

They walked quickly up the dock, Nami furiously gaining distance on Kia, when Blackbeard spoke from beside them on the pier. "The sky island does exist."

Nami stopped, dropping Luffy to the ground. Kia helped Zoro stand up, and brushed some things off his back, using him as a shield to block herself from view.

"Got something to say?" Nami asked him angrily.

"What are you so upset about? Your friends won that fight without even throwing a punch!" Luffy stood up then, fixing his hat from where they had stuffed it on his head.

"This new era they keep talking about is a load of crap. The day when pirates stop dreaming of treasure? Yeah, right!"

He laughed loudly, continuing to speak to Luffy, and Kia grabbed Zoro's shirt as he tried to step away. He turned to look at her for a moment, and must have seen her fear, because he stayed where he was and let her hide.

"The dreams of pirates will never die, am I right?" Blackbeard asked, and Luffy stayed quiet, even as the townspeople mocked Blackbeard's comments as he lumbered to his feet.

"Let's go," Zoro said, wanting to get Kia away.

"Luffy?" Nami asked. But Luffy stood still, just looking at Blackbeard.

"Hey kid, I hope you make it to sky island," Blackbeard said, and turned to walk away. Luffy turned also, catching up with Zoro, Nami trailing behind him.

"Maybe we should have asked him more questions about sky island, he seemed to know something…" Nami mused. "Who was he?"

"I don't know," Luffy answered. "But it wasn't _ _he."__

"Huh? If it wasn't he, what is it?"

"They," Kia said, before Zoro could answer. "His crew was watching us too."

"That's why you were acting so strangely?" Zoro asked as they walked.

"Where? I didn't see anyone with him!" Nami said. "Kia? You okay? You're shaking."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's get back to the Merry," she answered.


	40. Chapter 40- Meeting Cricket

Luffy, Zoro, Nami and Kia approached the Merry, silent as they walked, though Nami was fuming.

"Why are you guys bleeding?" Usopp asked as he leaned over the railing as they approached.

Sanji came running, "Nami? Kia? Oh no, are you ladies okay?"

"Doctor!" Chopper yelled.

"That's you," Usopp said.

"Oh, yeah."

The four climbed aboard and settled down by the bow, and Kia silently helped Chopper by cleaning up Zoro's wounds. None of the wounds were serious though, so she told him she wouldn't put bandages on if he sat still for the cleaning.

"So what happened? It looks like you guys were attacked by wolves or something," Usopp asked.

"It was pirates," Luffy answered. "But we're okay."

"You might be okay, but I'm not!" Nami yelled as she began shaking her fists. "What's wrong with you two? When you get provoked, the logical response is to beat them to a bloody pulp! Or better yet, you should have blown up that entire annoying town!"

"So, did you find out anything about sky island?" Chopper asked Luffy.

"Sky…island…" Nami turned to them, her voice low and menacing.

"Nami, knock it off," Kia said. "You're scaring them." She looked pointedly to Usopp, who was lying on the deck pretending to be dead with ketchup all around him, and Chopper who had eaten a rumble ball, changing into the huge ball of fluff that was guard point.

"I don't care!" she yelled.

"It sounds like I missed all the excitement," Robin said as she walked up the gangplank.

"Robin my love!" Sanji yelled in happiness.

"Hey Robin, where have you been all day?" Luffy asked.

"I went to get some new clothes, and to find information on Skypiea" she answered.

At those words, Nami turned her anger on Robin, and Chopper- so frightened- went into jumping point and jumped away from her. Of course, that meant he jumped right over Zoro's head, and into the water.

"Man overboard!" Kia yelled as she pointed, and Zoro leaped over the side to save him.

"Here Captain," Robin said, a row of hands forming from Robin to Luffy, passing something hand to hand until she was handing Luffy a map, and she told him about a man who was banished because he spoke of his dreams too much. She headed down to the girls' room, and realizing how tired she was, Kia followed after her, wanting to rest.

* * *

Hearing the shouting from the crew on the deck, Robin gave Kia a little shake and Kia yawned as she followed the other woman to the deck, just as the ship was pulling to the shore, where Luffy was shouting about the huge looking house.

Having both Sanji and Zoro saying something about it not being real had Luffy upset, and rushing to see if it was true. The rest of the crew followed leisurely behind him as he walked into the house shouting out for the man that lived there.

Kia followed Sanji over to a table made from a tree stump. As Nami found the story of Noland the Liar, and began to read it to everyone Kia sat in the grass, stretching and laying down.

Luffy went exploring since he found no one home, and Zoro sat down nearby Kia where he could keep an eye on everyone. Robin continued to look around, and they all heard a yell as Luffy fell in the water.

"Who the hell are you? You've got nerve relaxing at someone's home without permission! I suggest you leave!" A man had climbed out of the water where Luffy fell in, crouching into a fighting stance as he faced the crew.

Sanji ran over, shouting at Usopp to get Luffy, and he squared off against the man.

"I know why you're here… you must be after my gold!" the man shouted, as Sanji came up to him. He gave a few kicks that Sanji easily dodged, and blocked Sanji's kick in return.

"Wait!" Kia called, "We're not here to steal anything, we just wanted to talk to you!"

The man pulled out a revolver, and began shooting at Sanji, who dodged, and Zoro came running over to help. But before he could get there, the man dropped the gun, and fell over, clutching at his chest.

Usopp helped Luffy out of the water, as Chopper and Kia ran over and directed the guys to carry the man into the house.

"I need more cold towels," Chopper said, and Sanji jumped up to help.

"And open that window there," Kia directed Luffy, who did as she asked.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Nami asked.

"The bends," Chopper said.

"What's that?" Zoro asked.

"Basically, it is something that affects divers, when they surface too quickly," Kia explained.

"Yes," Chopper agreed. "when surfacing, the nitrogen in the blood releases. If done too quickly, it causes gas bubbles to form in the circulatory system. When those bubbles expand, they can cause serious damage to muscles and joints, and decrease blood flow."

"So a mystery disease then," Luffy said. "Can you guys help him?"

"Probably," Chopper answered, as Kia said, "yes."

They looked at each other, and Kia smiled. "He'd have to not dive for a little while, and give his body a chance to recover. And even then, he should take greater care when diving, if he continues to dive at all."

"That's true," Chopper agreed. "He passed out during the fight, but he could have died, and since he didn't, he'll probably be all right."

Suddenly the doorway was filled with Masira and Shoujou, the two large monkeys that the crew ran into before.

"Hey, what are you doing?" they yelled at the Straw Hats.

Usopp and Chopper screamed and started running around the room, while Luffy just looked over at them seriously. "We're trying to help him. So if you're not going to help, then go bother someone else."

They stared at Luffy, and started crying. "Thank you!" they cried through their tears.

Chopper sent everyone else outside, so it was just Chopper, Kia and Cricket in the house. "It's a lot quieter now," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, now he can rest," Chopper added.

It didn't take long however, before Cricket awoke. The first thing he did was light a cigarette. "You know you'd have better lung capacity while diving if you didn't smoke," Kia told him, and he smiled ruefully.

Chopper called to Luffy, and he entered the house followed by most of the crew. "Hey chestnut head, I need to ask you something," Luffy began, but Cricket interrupted.

"I'm sorry I attacked you," he said. "I thought you had come to steal my gold. What did you want to ask?"

"We're searching for sky island, and we were told you were the one to ask."

Cricket started laughing, and Nami tried to hit him, but Usopp held her back. "You actually believe that place exists?" Cricket asked.

"You mean there isn't one? Are you sure?" Luffy asked.

"Hmm… I'm __not__ sure." Cricket said, calming down again. "No one is certain if it exists or not. You see, the only man who claimed to see it, was known as a liar of epic proportions."

Luffy turned to gape at Usopp, and Usopp yelled, "What are you looking at?!"

Cricket then explained to us about Noland, how the story Nami had read was not the whole story, and told of how he had left home, to become someone different than his family name had made him. How he had somehow come to be on Jaya, and felt that he was destined to come here, and facing the fear that he had his entire life.

He told us how he didn't care if he found the city of gold, or whether Noland was honest or not.

"Are you done telling us your life story? All I care about is sky island!" Luffy shouted.

Cricket smirked, and handed Nami a log book, and she started reading from it, telling about Noland finding a waver, and about a skyfish, which had Sanji perking up.

Luffy had a grin on his face, and asked, "Do you know what this means?"

"Sky island is real!" Usopp and Chopper shouted. Cricket walked out of the house, as everyone became more and more excited, dancing and yelling and making plans. And then, Luffy shouted something to Sanji about having a party.

"And that's how we ended up sitting here," Kia explained to Robin later, who was seated next to her, and had asked why they were having a party.

"I see," she said with a smile. "It may be your last chance to get any sleep before we leave in the morning," she told Kia, seeing how she was struggling to stay awake.

"You can use the bed inside," Cricket offered. Kia couldn't tell if he was blushing, or just red from the alcohol he was drinking, but sleeping on a bed sounded much better than outside, so she nodded, stood up and walked into the house like a zombie. She had been up for almost two days, with a few small naps in between, and couldn't even remember her head hitting the pillow before she was fast asleep.

* * *

Hearing a loud crashing noise, Kia was startled awake, wondering where she was and what was happening. The first sensation was that the boat's rocking was pretty harsh, but as her brain and eyes focused, she gasped. She was actually being carried over someone's shoulder, and she didn't know who it was.

Looking around, she saw that Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou were sitting on the ground, looking at me in shock and anger. Before she could say anything, she was dropped to the ground next to a bag. Kia looked up, annoyed at being dropped so roughly, but stopped to gape as she recognized Bellamy and Sarquiss standing above her.

Bellamy looked at Sarquiss, "Well?" he asked.

"Booty, both kinds," Sarquiss answered, and laughed hysterically at his own joke.

"Seems she still doesn't think much of you," Bellamy said with a grin, as he continued to look at Kia. He reached down, and she flinched, but he grabbed the sack next to her instead. She could see by his smile that he enjoyed scaring her.

He pulled out a small statue of a south bird, made entirely of gold, and she goggled at it. "Look at that…" Bellamy said. "It's beautiful."

"It's not yours!" she said hotly, trying to move to stand and fight.

"Oh no?" he asked. "You should know, that's what pirates do," he said as Sarquiss pushed Kia back down.

"Ha!" Cricket said, and the three turned to look at him. Kia's face fell as she took in his bleeding face, and beaten body. "You're not worthy to touch that," he said.

"Worthy?" Sarquiss said in a menacing voice. He ran forward, brandishing his large scythe, and bringing it over his head to slash at Cricket. "How about now?!"

At the last moment, Masira moved to stand over Cricket, taking the blow for him, which cut deeply into his back, and he fell over.

"Masira!" Cricket yelled.

"Ha ha ha!" Sarquiss laughed snidely. "Seems we're stronger than you are, which makes us __worthy__ to take anything from you."

"Stand back boss!" Shoujou jumped up and inhaled a great breath in order to use his sonar voice against them, and Kia quickly covered her ears.

"No, Shoujou, the girl's in the way!" Cricket yelled, his arm reached out.

Shoujou deflated, the breath whooshing from his lungs as he looked over at her. Then, in the next moment, he was hit directly in the stomach by Bellamy, and sent flying into the water.

"No!" Cricket and Kia yelled at the same time. She stood up, wanting to run over to the water, but was stopped by Sarquiss. She struggled against him, until he pushed her down again.

"Let's go,"Bellamy said as he came back to his group. The men all came back to his side, as they had been trashing Cricket's home, and the Merry. One man who had graffitied Bellamy's pirate mark on the side of the house threw the paint can into the water. "Load up the gold," Bellamy called and they all started walking down to the ship.

Kia struggled as best as she could as Sarquiss picked her up again. She was hitting and kicking him- to no avail, and she started yelling as loudly as she could, until he threatened to cut off a piece of her if she didn't stop. She didn't want to stop, but realized that Luffy would come after Bellamy anyway. She could handle being with them for a little while, and then enjoy watching Luffy slaughter them.

"Grow up old man!" Bellamy called out as the others boarded their ship. "The city of gold is a fantasy! If you want to remain a pirate in this new age, you'd best realize that dreams __never come true!"__

The crew laughed, and Kia looked around at the destruction they caused, feeling pity for Cricket, and yet so much anger.

Cricket stood, calling out to Bellamy. "Hold on there, pup." Bellamy looked back over his shoulder, but didn't turn around. "A spineless whelp who beats people's dreams out of them, has no business calling himself a pirate," Cricket said angrily. "Let the girl go," he said as a threat, and Bellamy's grin widened.

"Seems like you didn't learn well enough the first time," he said, throwing off his coat, and heading towards Cricket.

"No!" Kia yelled, not caring what Sarquiss did. "Leave him alone!" Kia was put down on the ground, and a gloved hand covered her mouth, as she was faced toward the fight and forced to watch as Cricket was beaten until he was unconscious.

* * *

"It's too quiet," Usopp said. The others glanced at him, then around them. They were almost back to Cricket's house. "Shouldn't we be hearing them working on the Merry?" he asked.

"I smell blood!" Chopper yelled as he turned into his reindeer form and galloped ahead, everyone running behind him.

What they found shocked them all. The house was halfway torn down, the Merry had pieces missing from her, and the monkeys…

"Diamond-head guy!" Luffy shouted, running over to the prone figure.

"Masira! Shoujou!" the others yelled out as they saw the state of their new friends.

"Hey, help me!" Sanji called, as he started pulling Shoujou from the water.

"Right!" Chopper answered, turning into heavy point to assist.

"Who did this to them?" Usopp asked as he looked around. His eyes landed on the Merry, and he screamed, "Who would __do any of this?!"__

"Sorry…"

The voice was very weak, and Robin and Luffy helped Cricket to sit up. "Hey, are you okay?" Luffy asked.

"I'm so sorry…" he said slowly, having a hard time speaking. "We tried… to … stop them."

"Easy mister," Luffy said. "Just tell us what happened here."

"Joh!" The south bird in Zoro's hand called loudly, and Cricket looked up.

"You got one… good," he said, holding his head in his hand. "I'm so sorry!" he cried to Luffy, who looked confused.

"THE GOLD!" Nami yelled, interrupting them as she came out of the house. "IT'S GONE!"

Everyone looked to Nami, then back to Cricket, who was very upset. "Yes, it's gone," he said. "But that doesn't matter! You have-"

"How can you say that?!" Usopp yelled. "You dove for ten years to find that gold! You almost killed yourself for it!"

"Shut up!" Cricket yelled back, and the others stopped, looking at him in surprise. "I told you, it doesn't matter!" He stopped there, as he was racked with a coughing fit.

Zoro stepped away, continuing to search through the wreckage around him. He moved aside a board, noticing the dripping paint at the bottom. When he saw what was under it, he flung the board away.

"Your friend…" Cricket finally managed to choke out.

"Yeah, where is Kia?" Chopper asked. "Can you wake her up, Nami? I could use her help with them," he said, pointing to where Masira and Shoujou were laid.

"She's gone!" Cricket yelled. "Taken!"

"WHAAAATT?!" most of the crew yelled in response.

"Where? Who? Why? How?" the questions from each flowed on top of each other, and Cricket didn't know where to start.

"I'm sorry! I tried to stop them," he said again to Luffy dejectedly.

"Luffy," Zoro called, and gestured to the painted mark on the wall of the house.

"That's Bellamy's mark!" Nami said.

"I'll help," Zoro offered, just as Sanji said, "I'm going!" but Luffy shook his head.

"I can do this alone," he said.

"Luffy," Nami said, getting his attention. "I don't see how we can do this. We have to sail in three hours if we want to make it to sky island," she said sadly. "We can't leave without Kia."

Luffy turned to Robin, "If I follow the coast, I'll make it back to the town?" he asked her, and she nodded. He turned back to Zoro and Sanji, "Get everything ready, I'll be back in time," he said, and they nodded as well.

"Don't go alone!" Cricket yelled. "You don't know what you're getting in to!"

Luffy turned back to the group. "I'll be back by sunrise," he said, and took off running.

* * *

Kia continued to struggle, and Sarquiss pushed her forward. She tripped on the steps and banged her knee, then fell forward through the doors and into the tavern, scraping her arms on the rough boards. She lay there, hurt and upset, but was picked up and basically dropped into a chair.

"Cheer up sweetheart," Sarquiss said as he plopped into a chair across from her, the other members of the crew joining him. "We saved you from a weak crew, you should be thanking us."

"Thank you so much for kidnapping me, and forcing me to watch your pathetic grasp for power on this tiny nowhere island," Kia replied in monotone. Most of the crew bristled at that, but Bellamy just laughed, and went to the bar to get a drink.

"We'll break you of that spirit soon enough," Sarquiss hissed at her, and she rolled her eyes as she moved to the next table, away from him. She braided her hair to keep it out of her face, using a rubber band on her wrist to tie it off, the simple task helping to keep her calm.

She remained quiet for some time, and after awhile of being ignored, decided to try another escape attempt. She had had two unsuccessful attempts thus far, once when she tried to jump in the water while the ship was leaving Cricket's, and the other as they docked back in Mock town. Both times, Bellamy was the only reason she hadn't gotten away. She didn't think he had haki, so he must have been watching, waiting for her to try.

She glanced around slowly, trying not to move much, so as not bring attention to herself. Everyone was laughing and drinking. Kia noticed that Bellamy's back was to her, and the others were ignoring her so the next time one of the men gave a toast and caused a ruckus, she took the chance to slip outside.

Kia hid just outside the door, listening for any indication that someone had seen her leave, and hearing nothing, she grinned and stepped away from the wall. The swinging door was blasted open, catching her in the back, and sending her tumbling from the porch onto the wooden planks of the boardwalk below.

She groaned as she pushed herself up, noting the newest scrapes and splinters added in her arms and legs. It also hurt to put weight on her ankle, and as she was grabbed and hauled back inside, she could only limp along.

Kia was thrown back into the chair, as Bellamy growled at Sarquiss. "You took her, so keep an eye on her!" he said harshly, heading back to the bar. Sarquiss scowled at her, and stood up, stalking over to where she was sitting. She couldn't do anything as he reared back and backhanded her across the face.

"Learn your place!" he yelled, reaching back to strike again.

"Sarquiss, that's not how you do it," one of the women said. Kia glared at her, furious that these women would actually enjoy being part of this crew.

"It's more like this!" she said as she pushed Kia, causing the chair to tip over, and she hit the floor again, hard on her shoulder.

Kia knew anything she did to fight back would just make things worse, so she righted the chair, and tried to use it to get back up. The other woman stretched out, shoving with her foot, sending her sprawling once more, and the entire place laughed.

Bellamy laughed as he walked back over. He moved the chair and sat on it, looking down at her as she sat on the floor. Kia was disgusted, for she had landed on some type of liquid, and didn't know what it was, though she was hoping it was just alcohol.

"So then, what are you going to add to our crew?" he asked her with a grin. "Everyone helps, or else," he threatened.

"Not joining your crew," she grit out. "Eventually, I'll get back to mine."

"Why would you loyally follow such a weakling?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Why would you loyally follow a psychopath?" she retorted, and his brow went up. "Yes, I recognized your mark," she added.

"Ha!" he crowed. "Then you know what a great man he is-"

"I know how deranged he is," she interrupted. "He doesn't care for anyone, not even those who work for him. When he finds out my captain beat you-"

" _ _Beat__ me?" he interrupted, laughing, and the rest of the room followed suit.

"That's right," Kia said with a nod. "Since I haven't been able to get away, he'll just come get me."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked, mocking her.

"He's my captain, he'd never leave one of his crew behind," she answered, looking up in his eyes. "not to mention you stole from his friends, so he'll stop you. He's much stronger than you know."

"BAD NEWS!" A man yelled as he ran into the bar. "THOSE GUYS FROM EARLIER-" He looked shocked as he saw Sarquiss, and gasped as he saw Bellamy. "Bellamy? You're still here? You gotta hide, quick! THEY'LL KILL YOU!" he panted, as he yelled.

Bellamy glanced over to the man, asking "Who's going to kill me? What are you talking about?"

Kia smirked as the man looked like he was going to wet himself, in the face of Bellamy's anger. He held out his hand, showing two wanted posters for the entire room to see, and the room went as silent as a grave.

"Oh!" Kia said with a smile. "Zoro will be so happy that he finally got a wanted poster! Though, it's not a great picture," she added happily.

The people in the room started murmuring to each other, afraid of what would happen to them, since they had treated Luffy and Zoro so badly.

"Ah, don't worry, Luffy won't hold it against you," Kia said loudly, but that seemed to make them all more agitated instead of less, though she really didn't care. Perhaps they thought she was threatening them, but she just couldn't get her smile off her face.

Bellamy started laughing, just like the hyena he was named for. "You fools!" he yelled to everyone in the room. "You saw them with your own eyes, and now you want to run scared?!" He laughed at them all, and they started looking uncertain. "Weak pirates like these will do anything to look tough, even print fake wanted posters," he explained. "Idiots like you take one look and back down, without a fight, just like they hoped."

"Dream on Bellamy," Kia said loudly, as painfully got up. "You're just telling yourself that because you're scared!"

Bellamy kicked out, catching her in the stomach, which flung her into a table, crashing into several men and their glasses of booze. She was on the ground again, covered in broken glass and booze, and she was pretty sure she had several new gashes in her skin, but sat up anyway. "He's coming!" she tried to yell, but it came out on a groan instead.

The men still seated around the broken table heard what she said, and looked nervously at the door, but the rest of the room seemed to take Bellamy's explanation to heart, giving each other explanations of why Luffy couldn't possibly be worth 100 million beri. "Pirates worth that much do horrible things, so why haven't they been in the newspaper?" one man said to his friend.

"I ain't never heard of a straw hat gang," another said.

"It's gotta be fake," someone else yelled.

"Curse them for tricking us!" and other shouts continued to ring out.

"BELLAMY! WHERE ARE YOU?"

The shout from outside overpowered all the chatter inside the bar, and several people spit out whatever they had been drinking, including Sarquiss, which make Kia smirk.

"Can you help me outside?" she asked the men who were still sitting around her. A couple of them nodded, looking scared. "Really, he won't hurt anyone but Bellamy or his gang," she said softly, and that seemed to help.

Bellamy stood and strode to the door, looking back to smirk at his crew. They took this as a good sign, and stood up to follow. Sarquiss stopped to pull Kia from the men helping her and dragged her out the door as well. She looked around the moonlit dock, and followed the gazes of the others up to the roof of a nearby building, where Luffy stood.

"Well well," Bellamy said. "We were just talking about you. You got business with me?"

"Yeah," Luffy replied, his huge grin gone and eyes narrowed as they found Kia. "Give me my sister and the old guy's gold back."

Bellamy smirked. "Sister?" he asked, as he looked back, then crouched down, using his devil fruit powers to turn his legs into springs. He shot himself up, over Luffy's head and landed on the room opposite him. "You mean what we rightfully took from old man Cricket's? Why would I return either? Both were taken as pirate loot. You may be a pirate too, but you're in no position to make demands."

"Sure I am," Luffy answered calmly. "They're my friends, and she's my crew… and I'm taking them back!"

Bellamy started laughing hysterically. "Can you even fight?! Do you even know how to throw a punch?!" He continued to laugh, and the group around Kia began muttering. Some tried to laugh and smile with Bellamy, especially though closest to her, but since Bellamy's crew was all around her, she thought that was more likely to avoid getting beaten, rather than actual faith in Bellamy.

"There's no mistake, that's him," a voice said quietly, and several turned to see the man with the wanted posters, looking from Luffy to his poster and back again.

"Why are you hanging on to that piece of trash?" Sarquiss growled at the man. "Tear it up and throw it away!"

"But… but what if it's real?" the man asked. "If he really is worth 100 million… then Bellamy…."

"Ridiculous!" Sarquiss stated firmly, as he watched Bellamy. "Look at him. Does that kid look dangerous to you? Thirty million was obviously a faked amount as well."

Kia looked over to the man, and smiled. "It's real all right," she said.

"If you fight like you did earlier today, you won't be taking anything from me," Bellamy shouted snidely to Luffy. "Coward!"

"That was different," Luffy stated.

"Oh? So you've changed? Ha!" Bellamy smirked, and crouched low. He sprung up in the air, and crashed back into the roof they were standing on, causing the top of the tower to crack and separate, falling down. "You won't live to forget what I'm about to teach you!" he shouted.

He landed on the side of another tower, using his leg springs to catapult himself at Luffy. "Spring Snipe!" He yelled as he came barreling towards him, hitting the building, as Luffy dodged, but it sent him crashing to the ground. Luffy was standing as the dust cleared, and Kia couldn't tell if he had landed on his feet, or simply gotten back up.

"Spring Hopper!" Bellamy yelled, and started bouncing back and forth between buildings and the ground so fast, that they could only see a blur. "Their friend? HA! It makes sense! You believe the 400 year old lies of his fool ancestor. What city of gold?!" Bellamy shouted, making it sound as if his voice was all around the area. "What sky island?! The age of dreaming is over!"

"So, you wanna see me land a punch?" Luffy asked, as he raised his fist, cracking his knuckles in preparation.

Next to Kia, Sarquiss and the rest of Bellamy's crew began laughing again, and shouting to him. "Get him Bellamy! Fools doesn't deserve to live in the __real__ world!"

"You've got him Luffy," Kia said to herself, unable to tear her eyes away from where Luffy stood.

"SO LONG… STRAW HAT!" Bellamy crowed loudly as he headed straight for Luffy. It was all over in a second, a huge crashing sound that silenced the entire area.

Everyone stared, and in the silence they could hear the sound of blood dripping from Luffy's fist down onto the boardwalk. Everyone looked scared, except for Kia, who was grinning.

Sarquiss pushed her aside as he stepped forward. "Huh?!" he asked. "Bellamy this isn't the time for joking! Hey! Don't kid around! Say something!"

Bellamy didn't move, as he was out cold on the ground at Luffy's feet. His crew started to worry, and Kia looked up at Sarquiss with a smirk. He glanced down at her, getting even more angry and desperate.

"C'mon Bellamy, quite fooling around! Get up and do your thing!" When nothing happened, he shouted even louder, "BELLAMY! You can't be down! You're a heavyweight with a 55 million beri bounty on your head!"

Kia grabbed the wanted poster from the man next to her, and shoved it into Sarquiss' face. "That's nothing to 100 million," she said, and he grabbed her arm, trying to look tough, but his fear was palpable. "Just wait until your boss hears about this," she said cruelly.

"I want my sister, and the old man's gold!" Luffy said firmly to the group gathered. "Give it! Now!"

That was all it took for the entire group to run, except for Sarquiss. He held onto Kia's arm as if she was a barrier that could block him from evil. Luffy walked towards the pair, and Kia could feel Sarquiss trembling. Two of Bellamy's men came running back outside from the bar, handing over the bag of gold, and standing behind Sarquiss.

Luffy stopped in front of them, looking at Kia, up and down. Sarquiss chose that moment to be brave, as his anger took over. "That brat just got lucky!" he said under his breath, and that seemed to convince him that he could speak to Luffy. "Bellamy isn't the only one you have to deal with!" he yelled. "I'm still here, and no starry eyed fool is going to beat the both of us!"

Luffy adjusted the bag over his shoulder, holding out his hand for Kia's, completely ignoring Sarquiss. She stepped forward, limping on her bad ankle and hissing at the pain of moving.

"Straw Hat!" Sarquiss yelled, even as the others tried to hold him back and shut him up. "Where do you think you're going?! We're not done!"

"Where?" Luffy asked, looking over at him finally, and Sarquiss stumbled back in fear. "The sky," Luffy answered as he pointed up. He reared back, and sent a kick at Sarquiss, causing him to fall, and he didn't even move once on the ground. He could have been knocked out, or he could have been pretending, but Kia didn't care enough to check. "That's for hurting my sister," Luffy said, as he helped her walk away.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, worried.

"Yeah, I will be," she answered. "I'll need to let Chopper check me over."

"We don't have time to walk," Luffy said as he pulled her to a stop once they were a ways away from the other people. Can you carry this?" he asked, hanging her the bag of gold. She nodded, taking it and tying it around her shoulders like a strange backpack. He then turned his back to her, and said, "Hop on, we'll have to run to make it in time."

* * *

Luffy wanted to ask what the men had done to her, but Kia didn't want to talk, he could tell. Once she climbed on his back, he started running back the way he came, looking up at the way the sky was getting lighter, and thinking he may not make it as he planned.

He even saw an hercules beetle, and stopped to catch it, but then he felt rain. He looked back up at the sky, noticing there were no rain clouds. Oh, and the rain was only hitting his neck…

It took a bit, but once he realized Kia was crying on him, he was at a loss. Should he stop? Was he hurting her? She looked like she had been beaten up, and she was probably hurting. He'd better get her to Chopper, really fast. Chopper could help her feel better. He went back to running, picked up his speed, running as fast as he could, and forgetting all about the beetle.

After running for a long time, he finally saw the ship, which gave him the energy boost to keep going faster. He could hear the crew, excited to see him, but he didn't waste a second. "Chopper!" he yelled, which brought Chopper running, and had the rest of the crew stopping in their tracks.

He watched in confusion, as Kia stood, acting as if she wasn't hurt badly. She handed Usopp the bag, and calmed Sanji down, telling him that she was fine, and Luffy had beaten up the guys who took her. The old man came forward also, apologizing to her, and she just smiled and said, "no problem!"

His attention was grabbed as the others started running around to get to their ships, so that he could get to sky island, but he looked back in concern, to see Zoro pick her up for Chopper and take her to the ship, Sanji behind him yelling something. He grinned, knowing his crew was taking care of each other, and gave the old man a slap on the back.

"Thanks for fixing up our ship!" he told him with a grin.

"Thank them," the man said, still looking at the bag that had been placed in front of him, and pointing behind him to Masira and Shoujou's crews.

"Everybody aboard! We're running out of time!" they yelled at Luffy from their ships, and he ran for the Merry, stretching his arms to grab on and climb aboard.

"Hey Boy!" he heard, and turned back to the old man. "People may laugh and call them silly legends, but let them laugh! No one has ever proved that the golden city or sky island __doesn't__ exist! That what makes it a great adventure!"

"Right!" Luffy called back. "Shi shi shi!" he laughed at the thought of a great adventure.

"Thanks… for retrieving my gold! Don't fall out of the sky now!"

Everyone joined him in calling goodbye to the old man- even Kia, though she looked really pale.

* * *

Kia stood at the railing, ignoring the requests of the others to go lie down. __All that would happen was I'd get thrown out of bed, and that was pointless.__

"Chopper?" she asked, and he stopped complaining about her standing up in order to answer.

"Yes, Kia?"

"I promise, I'll go lay down once we see the knock up stream, okay? I don't want to miss it."

"Okay, I guess that would be all right, but I want to wrap your ankle first, so sit down."

She nodded and did as he asked, then called out to Sanji.

"Yes Kia, my dear?" he asked, and she smiled happily at getting his charm directed to her again. "Anything you need, I will be delighted to get for you!"

"I need some rope please," she asked, and he excitedly turned to get it, coming back with a length of rope for her, but confused now that he thought about why she asked for it.

"Why the rope Kia?" he asked.

"Well, if the knock up stream lifts us into the sky, I'm not sure if the boat will just be lifted, or what. I think I might need to tie myself to the railing in order to hold on."

"That's smart," Nami said, as she walked forward. She yelled to the guys to secure everything down with ropes, and they jumped to do it.

There wasn't much chance to talk after that, as the sky grew dark, and the waves grew. The crew ran around, following orders as best as they could, and Nami freaked out as she realized how the knock up stream built its energy. The Merry was towed to the side of a giant whirlpool by the other ships, but before they were sucked down to their deaths, the water calmed.

"Hey it stopped!" Usopp called.

"Huh?!" Sanji shouted from the other end of the ship. "It's gone? How?!"

"No!" Nami called, her eyes wide with fright. "It's only just begun! It's building!"

"HOLD IT!" A voice shouted, and the crew all turned.

A laugh sounded that would probably haunt her dreams, and Kia looked out at the huge raft that was following the Merry, seeing Blackbeard and his crew paddling towards them.

"They're from Mocktown!" Nami said.

"Who are they?" Sanji asked.

"Hey Zoro," Luffy called, "Look!"

Zoro looked over, seeing who it was, and turned to Kia, who looked white.

"GIVE UP, STRAW HAT LUFFY! WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT HUNDRED MILLION BERI HEAD OF YOURS!"

"Did he just say my head is worth a hundred million beri?" Luffy asked.

"Yes," Kia answered, shaking off the fear. __Blackbeard won't be able to follow us now.__ "The new posters came out this morning. And Zoro is worth sixty million," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. "It went up after the stuff in Alabasta."

Kia smiled slightly, as she watched Luffy and Zoro celebrate, and Sanji pouting and insisting that Usopp keep looking through his binoculars to see his wanted poster.

Masira and Shoujou began yelling at them, and they all steadied themselves as the ship began rocking. Nami looked over the side, and began yelling as well. "EVERYONE GRAB ONTO SOMETHING SECURE, OR GO BELOW!" she bellowed, "THE SEA'S GONNA BLOW!"

Kia moved, checking the rope she had tied around her middle and the stair railing. The water shot up suddenly, and everyone screamed, though some were in excitement, and some were scared witless.

"This is impossible!" she heard Nami shout. "The ship is sailing vertically up the surface of the current!"

"Wait a minute!" Sanji yelled. "We're floating! If we tip back, we'll fall back down!"

"What? That can't happen!" Luffy yelled. "Nami! What can we do?!"

Chopper screamed as a huge sea king fell over the ship back towards the ocean surface. "See?!" Sanji yelled. "It's only a matter of time before we end up like that!"

"It's a little late to worry about that!" Zoro yelled.

"We're still being propelled upward by the force of the explosion," Robin added. "There's nothing we can do now."

"Why did we do this?!" Usopp and Chopper yelled.

"HOIST THE SAIL! NOW!" Nami yelled, causing everyone to look over at her. "This isn't just a wall of water, it's an ocean current, and we can sail on it!" She turned and gave her crew a smile. "If we're up against the ocean and wind, we can navigate it! And who is this ship's navigator?!"

"YOU ARE NAMI!" The boys yelled back, and Luffy cheered.

The sails billowed open as they unfurled them, catching the rising air, and lifting the ship even faster than the water had. It was a completely amazing experience, even for someone that had flown before. This was different than an airplane, feeling the warm wind all around her, and Kia wanted to just close her eyes and revel in it, but couldn't. She wanted to see everything.

"It's incredible!" Luffy shouted. "We're flying!"

Everyone joined in, shouts of amazement, of awe, of love for Nami… you name it.

"How far, Nami?" Luffy asked.

"If there really is a sky island, it's above those clouds!" she replied, pointing up above them, right where they were heading.

"Then let's go!" Luffy shouted.

"YEAH!" they all responded.


	41. Chapter 41- Sky Island

"Is everyone all right?" Kia heard Zoro ask. She looked around slowly, unable to move very far since she was still tied to the railing.

"Look!" Luffy yelled excitedly. "It's all white!"

"We're completely surrounded by clouds, but I don't see an island," Sanji spoke up as he peered out of the boat.

Chopper came over, helping Kia untie the rope from around her waist, then helping her up.

"How is this happening?" Nami asked, still shocked. "Why aren't we falling?"

Luffy gave her a look of disbelief. "Clouds float, boats float. It's the same thing."

"No it's not!" everyone yelled in sync.

"Uh, no captain, that's not right," Kia added. Luffy looked at her in question, and then shrugged.

"So it's a mystery cloud. But where's Sky Island?" he asked.

"Hmm…" Kia mused, looking out at the ocean of white. She blinked furiously, trying to keep her drooping eyelids open.

"Bed Kia," Chopper said, steering her towards the stairs. He changed into his heavy point, ready to carry her down the stairs so she wouldn't fall.

"But…" she replied. "the island, Chopper…"

"Don't worry Kia," Luffy said as he turned to wave at her. "I'll wake you up as soon as we find Skypiea!"

Kia glanced back, then up at Chopper in question. He gave her a nod, so she smiled back at Luffy. "Okay, but don't forget?" she asked.

"Of course!" he said with a laugh. "No one is staying back with the ship this time!"

"I'll fix you a nutritious lunch to help you feel better after you nap, Kia my sweet!" Sanji said with a smile, as Chopper led her towards the door.

"Moron," Zoro muttered.

"Hey! I'm alive!" Usopp shouted as he stood up suddenly. Kia turned back at the noise, but Chopper kept moving forwards.

"Come on Kia, I'll help you get settled. Do you need any pain killers?" he asked.

"Honestly, I'll fall asleep once my head hits the pillow," she answered, already letting her eyes close.

"I've got you," she heard, and that was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

Robin wasn't sure if she should laugh or roll her eyes. As soon as Kiana was out of sight, the chef turned to the swordsman with a sneer, asking, "Did I hear you call me a moron?!"

"I don't know. Did ya?" the swordsman replied.

Wanting to break up the argument, as well as get things moving, she turned to the navigator. "Miss navigator, what does the log pose say?" she asked.

Nami gasped as she looked at her wrist. "It's still pointing up."

"Hmm, then we must need to go even higher. Perhaps this is some sort of middle level of the cloud."

"How can we go higher?" Nami asked.

"I'm not sure," Robin replied. "We know next to nothing about this ocean."

"Leave it to Captain Usopp!" Usopp shouted, standing up on the railing and giving a manly pose. "I'll go for a quick swim!"

"Yeah! Do it!" Luffy cheered as Usopp turned and dove into the white clouds.

The crew was quiet as they peered over the side of the boat, waiting. After a couple of minutes, Sanji cleared his throat. "Uh, he's not coming back up," he said.

"I'm wondering," Robin added as a thought occurred to her. "Does this ocean even have a bottom? Could he have just fallen through?"

"OH NO!" Nami shouted.

"USOPP!" Luffy shouted as he reared his arm back, and shot it forward where he had last seen his friend.

"Stretch as far as you can," Robin said, as she stood up straight, and crossed her arms in front of her.

"But I can't see where to reach for him!" Luffy said.

"Leave that to me," Robin smirked, closing her eyes. "Ojos Fleur."

Everyone looked between Luffy's straining face and Robin's calm veneer, wondering what was happening.

"There he is," Robin said, which had everyone pleasantly surprised. ""Seis Fleurs!" she called, and after a moment, opened her eyes, and turned to Luffy. "Okay, pull him up."

Luffy nodded, and started retracting his arm, but finding it much harder than it should have been. "It's heavy!" he complained.

"There shouldn't be any resistance," Nami said, concerned and looking closer. She and Chopper cheered as Usopp's body came out of the clouds and back to the ship, but quickly changed to screams as a huge strange looking creature with even bigger teeth followed him.

Robin's eyebrow raised as an even larger octopus followed behind the fish. Before she could comment, the chef and swordsman were racing towards the newest threats, slashing and kicking at once.

"What strange creatures," she commented as the boys stood panting from their attacks.

"This doesn't even seem like a fish at all,"Sanji said, checking over the flat creature he had kicked.

"That octopus was like a balloon," Zoro added.

"GAAAH!" Usopp sat up, rolling around.

"What's wrong now?!" Sanji shouted, exasperated.

"There's something… in my pants!" Usopp yelled back, pulling out a wriggling fish from inside his pants, and curling up on deck, chanting, "sky island is scary… sky island is scary…"

Robin smiled as she picked up the strange looking fish. It was wide and flat, with sharp teeth and feather like scales. "This must be a sky fish, like the ones we read about in Noland's log book. It seems they have evolved differently from their aquatic cousins in order to survive up here," she said.

"So they're flat, or balloon- like?" Zoro asked.

"Their bodies are airfoils. After all, the clouds would be far less buoyant than water," she explained.

She turned to see what happened to the fish after she passed it off to the navigator, only to find the captain with a plate of freshly cooked sky fish.

"It's great!" he said as he took several bites. Robin chuckled as the navigator pulled the plate away from him, yelling, and the chef added, "I sauteed it."

Despite herself, the navigator tried some as well. "MMM! It IS good! I've never tasted anything like it before!"

"Well, I aim to please," Sanji said with a bow.

"Let's cook the big one too!" Luffy said, pointing to the large fish still attached to the ship by its teeth.

"Forget it," Sanji answered with a roll of his eyes. "I don't aim to please that much."

Robin chuckled at the absurdity of the whole situation, heading back towards the upper deck.

Behind her, Chopper looked out of the pair of binoculars he grabbed. "Where's the sky island?" he asked himself. He stopped as he saw something sailing. "Hey guys, it's a ship!" he called. "Huh?" he muttered, unsure if he was seeing things. "…a person?"

The crew turned at Chopper's scream, seeing him shaking. "What, did you see a ship, Chopper?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, th-there was a ship, but… now it's gone!"

"Where did it go?"

"There's a bull! It's running on the clouds, and now it's headed straight for us!" Chopper yelled.

"Uh… you're not making sense," Zoro said.

"Yeah, what's gotten into you?" Sanji asked.

"He's right! Something's coming!" Usopp yelled from atop the crow's nest. "He's running on the clouds!"

They turned toward the man as he came close, and Sanji yelled, "Stop! What do you want?!"

"To destroy you!" the man in the mask answered, jumping in the air. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji all rushed forward to stop him, but he took each of them out in succession with a single hit each. Pushing off the railing, he soared upwards, turning and aiming his bazooka at the ship.

"AAHHH!" Chopper, Nami and Usopp screamed.

"ENOUGH!" A new voice rang out across the sky, as a large bird dove straight at the masked man, causing him to put down his gun in order to pull out his shield, blocking an attack from a man riding atop the bird. The man was wearing armor, and carrying a lance, which struck the guerrilla's shield, sending him flying back. The man landed on the Merry, and the crew looked at him with wide eyes.

"Okay, who is this guy?" Nami asked.

The man turned, standing tall, and clearing his throat. "Ahem… I am… the sky knight!" he announced. He turned back, searching the clouds around them. "He's gone."

Robin watched as the man spoke with her crew, amazed at the information they received, little as it was. She spoke when she felt it necessary, but for the most part, just took in what she could, adding it to her limited understanding of the sky ocean. Though there were many questions still, she was excited to learn that there were multiple islands here in the sky. She smiled as she thought of the history that she could discover here.

* * *

Zoro didn't say much, but that wasn't anything new. He spoke when he felt the need to get the crew back on track, or to check that everyone was still alive, or to let the annoying cook know that he was being annoying- __again.__ "What should we do now?" he asked loudly, getting the captain's attention.

"I know!" Luffy answered. "Let's call the old guy and ask him!" He reached for the whistle, and Zoro mentally face-palmed. Usopp and Nami were quick to stop Luffy from wasting their new gift, though to Zoro it didn't matter. If they had to ask for help, they weren't ready to have come here, and they were here, so they had to be ready. It just made sense.

"Hey, look over there!" Chopper called, and everyone turned.

"It looks like a waterfall…" Robin said.

"Then it's settled," Zoro said, eager to move onward. "We're going that way."

When the crew arrived on the Grand Line, there was something that was continuously said, over and over. Expect only the unexpected, and Zoro had internalized the motto. If there was one thing he hated, it was being taken off guard, so if he expected anything to happen, he never would be again. As the Merry sailed toward the waterfall, and a large gate was revealed, Zoro was the only passenger to show no surprise, in fact, to someone else, he might have even looked bored.

"Heaven's gate?" Usopp asked, shaking. "Isn't that something you only see after you die?"

Zoro smirked. "Maybe we are dead then…" he teased, enjoying the wide eyed stares of both Usopp and Chopper. Of course when Chopper started wailing about not wanting to die, he felt slightly bad, but they'd get over it, and be less afraid the next time.

He remained quiet, observing, as the small old woman came out taking pictures of them. He felt uneasy as they were first told of an entrance fee, and then told they could enter anyway. As he had learned countless times from the witch, nothing in life was free, there were always strings attached.

"Seven of you then?" the old woman asked.

"Actually," Usopp started, but cut himself off as the ship was grabbed and started moving.

As a giant lobster grabbed a hold of their ship and they traveled quickly up a cloud road, Zoro wondered what the strings from this decision would bring them. Either way, he'd be ready.

* * *

"Woo-hoo!" the captain shouted, and Robin glanced up at him, before turning back to look at the clouded world around her. Her eyes widened as she saw the large sign they passed that read, "Godland Skypiea."

"There it is! Sky Island!"

The captain's excitement was infectious, and Robin could see that several of the others were practically bouncing with it. The ship was brought a short distance from the beach, and then stopped suddenly. The large claws that had held them, were released, and they found themselves alone.

"Do I drop anchor?" she could hear the swordsman ask. "Will it even work here?" He moved to the anchor, and she determined he had probably been asking himself, and wouldn't like her opinion on the matter. She turned instead to the navigator.

"Didn't that sign say Skypiea?" she asked Nami.

"Yeah," she answered, though unconcerned. "the same name on that map that Luffy found, which means… that galleon that fell really had been up here."

"I smell adventure!" Luffy called, and jumped down from the ship into the shallow water. __At least, I believe it's water. Condensation from the clouds perhaps?__ Robin thought.

Usopp and Chopper ran after him, making their way quickly to the beach, exploring and playing.

"Oy! Zoro!" Luffy called. "Wake up Kia!"

"I'll do it," Nami said before he could answer. "I want to change anyway." Robin looked at the sky around her, deciding she no longer needed her jacket. Peeling it off, she looked around her, enjoying the sight of the younger boys having fun.

Nami came back quickly, calling out "I'm sorry! Ow! Ow!" Robin turned to see the south bird that they had caught on Jaya flying off towards the island, and Nami rubbing her head. "We forgot to release the south bird," she said.

* * *

Kia felt more rested, sure, but now was at the stage were everything hurt. She knew she was limping along like an old woman, but she couldn't seem to help it. She walked out the door, into the bright light, shielding her eyes. After Nami had woken her up, she had changed into shorts and a t-shirt. The weather was beautiful, and she wanted as much sun as she could soak up, even with the bandages on her arms and legs.

Nami had given her a pair of sunglasses, and though they didn't hide the large bruise on her face from the backhand she received yesterday, they helped her feel better about it. Kia knew she didn't look good however, as she saw Zoro look over at her as she emerged onto the deck. His face barely changed, but she could see the anger in his eyes, along with a slight wince.

Kia shrugged slightly, and gave him a smile, which he returned with a smirk, and a shake of his head.

"We made it!" Nami yelled, as she jumped overboard. Kia could hear her laughing, and Robin leaned over to see her. "If I can do it, you can!" Nami called. "Just jump!"

Robin turned back to Zoro and Kia. "You coming?" she asked, and Kia nodded, as she slowly moved over to her. "Swordsman, are you joining us?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be along," he answered, turning to check the ship one more time before leaving.

Kia walked over to the railing, and judging the jump, figured it might hurt, but it was clouds after all, and probably hurt less than trying to use the rope ladder. She hunched sideways over the railing, and rolled over it, then jumped back away from the ship.

She was both right and wrong. It didn't just maybe hurt… it really hurt. Clouds yes, but still an impact on her already bruised body. As she landed, she fell over, and rolled onto her back. She laid in the cloud water, floating, as Robin jumped down gracefully beside her.

"Yeah, I know, not smart," Kia said before Robin could reprimand her. "I thought the clouds would be more… soft."

"Can I help you up?" Robin asked with a hint of a smile.

"Please."

As Robin helped her stand, Kia looked over at the beach. "Looks like everyone is enjoying themselves."

"The captain said he smelled adventure, so we had better prepare ourselves," Robin commented. She kept her arm through Kia's, assisting her in walking through the water to the beach.

Kia laughed, "Luffy can __always__ smell adventure," she said. "though sometimes, I'm pretty sure he creates it himself."

"Ha ha, yes." Robin chuckled. "I believe you are right about that." She looked around the beach as they walked up to the shore. "I didn't think of this as an adventure, perhaps I should change my stance."

"Most definitely," Kia agreed.

"Robin baby! Kia sweetie!" Sanji called as he raced up to them. "I have a present for you!" He stuck a flower behind each of their ears, looked at the last one in his hand, and raced off, calling, "Nami baby! Where are you?"

Kia giggled. "He's such a romantic, and yet…"

Robin laughed as well, pulling the flower from her hair to peer at it. Kia could hear splashing behind her, and she glanced back to see Zoro coming up behind them, his pants rolled up to avoid the water. Kia took a moment to study his scars on his ankles. They were pretty big, and were close to being a full circle around each leg. Which meant he had cut through much more than she had always assumed.

Kia winced in sympathy, but he just looked at her in confusion, so she rolled her eyes and turned back forward, just as Luffy came up with two large gourd-like things. They resembled green pumpkins. Kia thought for a moment about showing off her knowledge, but before she could, they all heard the music, and turned toward the sound.

"Is it a monster?" Usopp asked, hiding behind a tree.

"The sky knight will save us!" Chopper said hurriedly. "Where's the whistle?!" he looked around frantically.

"No he can't," Sanji said, as the crew all gathered closer together. Kia looked over at the girl playing the harp, understanding what had Sanji all in a tizzy. She was very cute, from her long braided blond hair, her adorable wings sticking out from her back, and her short dress. She seemed like one of those girls from home that looked prettier naturally than other girls would with all their hair and makeup tricks.

"She's… an angel!" Sanji gushed.

"An angel?" several of the others asked, even as she turned to look at them.

"Heso!" she called out.

"Huh?" Luffy said.

"Do you think she is trying to say hello?" Usopp asked quietly.

"It kind of sounded like hello," Zoro added.

"Then say it back," Kia said, and Luffy shouted out, "Hello!"

The angel smiled, putting away her harp as she walked towards them. A small animal ran from them to her, and as she bent to scoop it up in her arms, Kia recognized the cloud fox. "Did you come from the blue sea world?" she asked Luffy. Kia wasn't sure if she could tell he was the one in charge, or if it was because he had said hello.

"If that's what you call it," he answered.

"Then let me welcome you to Skypiea's Angel Beach." She smiled at all of them, then looked down at the gourds in Luffy's arms. "Oh, do you like conash?" she asked, gesturing towards the gourds.

"Huh?" Luffy questioned.

"Let me help," she offered, taking one from him. "The top is as hard as a rock, but… if you cut from the underside," she said, as she made a hole at the bottom, and placed a straw inside for him. "You can drink it." She handed it back, and Luffy took a huge mouthful. After swallowing, he practically freaked out, shouting about how good it was, with Usopp and Chopper asking for samples.

"I am Conis, and this is Suu," she said to the rest of us, ignoring the boys as the rest of them were.

"Whoa," Sanji muttered. He did his most suave bow, but before he could say anything, Nami pushed him out of the way.

"All of this is new to us, and we have a lot of questions," Nami said with a polite smile.

"Of course!" Conis answered. "I'd be happy to answer them."

"Something's coming from the ocean," Zoro called out, and they all turned to look.

"It's a giant slug!" Luffy exclaimed.

"No, that's my father," Conis said.

"Heso Conis!" the man called.

"Heso Father!" Conis shouted back, and Luffy looked at her in irritation.

"What's heso?!" he muttered.

Kia explained quietly that it was their way of greeting, like saying hi, or hey, instead of hello, and he shrugged, no longer interested. He continued to drink from the conash, and they watched as Conis' father crashed onto the shore.

He greeted them warmly, and offered to feed them lunch. Luffy was quick to agree, as he always was with food, and Sanji looked almost as excited, as he thought of learning new cuisine. Nami however, was more interested in the waver and how it worked.

Pagaya, Conis' father, offered a chance to ride his waver, and Luffy used his title to claim first ride. Kia decided to go with him, as once Nami got on, there wouldn't be another chance for a long time. Luffy cheered as she climbed on behind him, and as Pagaya explained the controls, she smiled. She had ridden jet skis and wave runners many times, and felt this would be pretty similar.

Luffy however, had never ridden anything of the sort, and was wildly out of control from the moment he took off. He just pushed the accelerator down to the floor, and the pair were off in a shot. He screamed, as the waver rocked, and he was having a hard time keeping it steady.

As he steered into a wave they had created, the waver soared, and the pair tumbled out into the water.

"Oh no!" Conis cried back at the shore.

"I wonder if devil fruit users sink in this sea like they do in water?" Sanji questioned.

"Well, it's not like the normal sea, so maybe he'll float," Zoro responded.

Chopper looked back and forth between them, getting more and more worried as no one seemed to move to help Luffy.

"Oh, down he goes," Sanji said.

"Guess I was wrong," Zoro added.

Chopper ran forward with a yell, wanting to help his friend, and immediately became powerless in the water.

Back in the water, Kia swam over to Luffy, and hauled him up. She noted that she moved much faster in this ocean, and was glad for the lack of resistance that she would normally find. She swam over to the waver and threw Luffy's upper body over the side, then went around and climbed back in from the other side, and finally pulled him aboard.

"I almost… fell through the cloud…" he said, panting.

"Yeah, you're fine," Kia commented. She stepped forward, situating herself at the controls, and slowly pushed the accelerator. The waver started moving forward, and she increased the power until it was at a speed she was comfortable with. The pedal was only about halfway down, but she didn't want to tip over again. While she knew Nami would be much better at driving it, Kia was happy she was able to actually ride it.

"Whoa!" Luffy called out, as he stood up, grabbing onto her shoulder.

"Ow! Watch it Luffy!"

"Oh, sorry Kia! But I have to hold on!"

"Uh, grab my waist then," she called back.

"Can't we go faster?" he asked.

"Nope."

Luffy pouted all the way back to shore, and pouted even more as Nami got her turn and showed them all up, even Pagaya. She really was a natural.

"Why can she ride it?!" Luffy demanded. "And Kia too?"

Nami had ridden near shore and apparently hear him yelling. "There's a trick!" she called out as she sped away. "You're touch isn't delicate enough Luffy!"

"Nami! It's time for lunch, so you have to get off now!" Luffy yelled back, and Kia chuckled at his pouting.

"Nice try," Sanji said dryly.

"Looks like she wants to stay out awhile," Robin added. "Should we head to your house then?"

"Yes, follow us," Conis said, she and Pagaya leading the way.

"She's having a blast!" Usopp said, as the rest turned to follow them.

"Come on Luffy, you don't want to be left behind!" Kia called.

"Just sink already!" he said sticking out his tongue at Nami, only to be kicked in the head by Sanji.

"Thanji!" Luffy complained. "You made me bithe my thung!"

"Good."

Kia tried not to laugh too hard, as she grabbed Luffy's arm and they walked up the giant staircase leading inland. It turned out to be a good thing, as she quickly expended all her energy, and Luffy had to practically carry her about halfway up- but finally they reached their house.

The first thing Kia did was slide onto the sofa, the cushy cloud exactly what she needed to rest on.


	42. Chapter 42- Angel Beach

Robin smiled as she saw Kia close her eyes and relax on the couch. She turned to Conis, asking for more information on the dials she had spoken of earlier. She listened intently, intrigued at all of the different dials that existed here.

"The civilization of Skypiea owes much to the power of dials," Conis explained. "In fact, our culture has evolved with these dials, I suppose in the same way they evolved with the white-white sea."

"It's fascinating!" Chopper said with stars in his eyes. "I want to live in the clouds forever!"

Robin giggled as she heard the swordsman snoring softly. Amused that he already was bored of the conversation, she turned to look and snickered into her hand to avoid laughing out loud.

"Conis," she began, and the younger woman turned to her. "Do you have anything to take a picture? I really need to store this for later," she pointed over to the couch, where Kia and Zoro were sleeping. Kia's head had fallen to his shoulder, and her body was curled up to his. It was __adorable,__ and no doubt neither one would believe it without proof.

They all turned to look at the door of the kitchen as they heard crashing noises, and Sanji's raised voice, but soon he and Pagaya started filling the table with delicious looking dishes.

Robin smiled as Sanji caught sight of the two sleeping, his face going red. He quickly order Luffy to wake them up, and help Kia sit up to eat. Bringing out the last dish, he announced, "Dinner, is served! I present to you sky lobster with special sauce, and a variety of island fruits… that I can't pronounce."

Robin ate slowly, enjoying the new flavors, as the others dug into the meal. Sanji walked out to the balcony, lighting a cigarette and looking around.

"Hey guys, where's Nami?" he asked.

Robin and Kia exchanged glances, as she had looked up at his words. Robin wasn't sure, but she could see something in Kia's expression that she didn't understand. __Why would she be afraid?__ she thought.

She tuned back in just as Conis put down her fork and turned to her father. "I'm worried."

"Yes, I have a bad feeling about this," Pagaya responded, which had Robin confused and wondering what had gotten into the three of them.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked, still eating.

"There is a place, the Upper Yard, that no one is allowed to set foot on. It borders our island, not too far away, so it is a short trip by waver. If Nami saw it, I'm worried she may have become curious," Conis said.

"Not allowed to set foot on?" Robin asked.

"What's so bad about this place?" Usopp asked. "Is it full of monsters?"

Conis shook her head. "It's sacred ground."

"Sacred ground?" Robin asked, intrigued.

"But more than that… it is the island, where god lives."

"Wait, let me get this straight…" Luffy said. "There's actually a god, and he lives up here? On an island that no one is allowed to walk on?"

"Yes," Conis answered, uncertain of the gleam in Luffy's eyes.

Usopp yelped and grabbed Luffy's shirt, giving him a shake. "I've seen that look in your eyes before Luffy, and it always gets us into trouble! You're not dragging me down with you this time!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, I understand, we can't go there…" Luffy said, though the smile never left his face, and Kia smirked. "Do I look like the kind of guy that would do that?" he asked with a grin.

"Uh, yes… absolutely," Sanji, Chopper, and Zoro said quietly.

"Tell me," Robin asked. "I assume there are vicious consequences for violating this law, do you know what they are?"

"Yes, I do," Conis replied, looking down at her lap.

"It is our belief that those that trespass on the Upper Yard, do not return alive,"Pagaya answered for her.

"You mean, they are killed?" Zoro asked.

"Killed?!" Usopp gasped, as Sanji ran to the balcony and yelled for Nami.

"I am just as worried for Nami as all of you are," Pagaya stated. "We can only hope that she did not venture too close to the Upper Yard."

They all turned to Luffy as he let out a laugh. "Well? Let's go find her then," he stated, to the complete shock of Conis, Pagaya, Chopper and Usopp.

Usopp grabbed him again, yelling, "you don't care about her, you just want to see the forbidden place!" while Luffy continued to laugh at the idea.

Sanji however, turned back, completely serious. "I'm going. If Nami is in trouble, I won't let anything happen to her. Who's with me?"

"But…" Conis said, "You don't know for sure that she is there. You just don't understand how devastating it would be for us to incur the wrath of our god Eneru…"

"This Eneru doesn't sound like the nicest guy," Chopper said.

"He doesn't have to be…" Zoro replied, lifting his cup to take a drink. "He's god."

* * *

"All right, let's head out!" Luffy yelled as he finished eating, grabbing another two forkfuls from another plate on the way, and running out the door. Sanji was also in a hurry, but the rest of the crew took their time getting back down to the beach. Pagaya informed everyone that the wind was against them, and they would not be able to sail to the Upper Yard until the wind changed.

Luffy, not to be outdone by the weather, grabbed the broken waver and jumped from the Merry, heading for the water. "Finally, there's someplace dangerous to go! I'm not going to stay here!"

"Is that the old, broken waver?" Usopp yelled after him. Luffy landed in the water, and the waver promptly sank, taking Luffy down with it.

"Idiot," Zoro complained.

"Uh…" Chopper started, watching Luffy's hand reaching up out of the water. "Is someone going to save him?" he asked.

"No," Sanji, Usopp and Zoro answered as one. Kia sighed, knowing they were just annoyed, but wanting to be quick about the rescue.

"You go, or I go," she stated, starting toward the ship's railing. Zoro mumbled some more, but he jumped out of the ship and quickly pulled up both Luffy and the waver.

Since they weren't going anywhere, Pagaya offered to take a look at the broken waver to see if he could fix it, and Luffy enthusiastically agreed. Robin and Kia relaxed on the deck of the Merry, with Zoro falling asleep nearby almost instantly.

"It's like when he's awake, he's just waiting for a chance to sleep again," Kia said with a giggle to Robin, and she chuckled along with the younger woman.

"Yes, yet always aware, even in sleep," she agreed. "But how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Sore, and annoyed," Kia replied.

"Annoyed?" she asked.

"Yes, annoyed that I have very little stamina," Kia answered. "Just the walk back down to the ship has me completely worn out."

"That is to be expected when healing," Robin said with a smile. "Would you like for me to get your sketchbook for you? You really should be taking it easy."

"No, thank you. I think I just want to sit here and visit, if that's okay with you."

"Certainly."

* * *

"You, on the beach! Don't move!"

Everyone turned to the large cloud staircase, even Zoro opened his eyes, and watched as a large group of men came towards them. Kia's mouth dropped, as once they reached the sand, they began crawling on the ground, as if trying to stay hidden or something. She hadn't really believed she would see that.

"What are they doing?" Zoro asked. Robin and Kia both shrugged.

"Perhaps we should join the others," Robin suggested.

Zoro nodded, and turned to Kia, saying, "Hold on," as he picked her up, then jumped over the side of the ship. She was too surprised to make more than a squeak, and before she could do anything, he was putting her back on her feet in the shallow water.

"Next time, a little warning would be nice," she grumbled as she tried to still her rapidly beating pulse.

"I said, hold on," he answered, and she rolled her eyes as Robin jumped down beside them.

The trio started walking over to the others, and made it just as the crawling men did. "White berets, halt!" the leader called, and they all stood back up, making some sort of salute behind their heads, and calling out, "Heso!"

"Heso!" Conis and Pagaya replied, much to Luffy's annoyance.

"Speak our language!" he groused.

"Who are these guys," Zoro asked. "Soldiers?"

"Usopp said they have issues," Chopper informed him, and he nodded, which had Kia smiling.

"And what is this?" the lead man said, looking at the crew. "The seven blue-sea dwellers who entered Skypiea illegally! Prepare to have heaven's judgement brought down upon you!"

"What?" everyone asked.

"They're criminals?" Pagaya asked, looking back at the visitors. "That can't be, there must be a mistake!"

"No use denying it, we have these images from Amazon at the gate. Once you confess to your crimes, and the punishment dealt with, you will become legal tourists on the spot."

"What punishment?" Sanji asked calmly.

"A mere slap on the wrist," he answered. "Just pay ten times the entrance fee, and this whole mess will be forgotten. That's 10 billion extol per person."

"That seems like a lot!" Usopp said. "What's that in berri?"

"The currency from the blue sea world?" the leader asked. "Today's current exchange rate is 10,000 extol per berri."

"Uh, let's see… " Usopp muttered as he began calculating, not so silently.

"70 billion extol is 7 million berri, genius," Robin said with a roll of her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Sanji exclaimed. "That's way too expensive! After we risked our lives to get here, we have to pay a huge fee just to enter your precious city?! We can't agree to that!"

"You brought this on yourselves, when you refused to pay the original fee.." the man stopped as he noticed that they were no longer paying attention to him, but talking among themselves.

"So, we should just go," Luffy said. "There's adventure waiting… oh, I mean, we need to look for Nami!"

"But what if she comes back while we're gone?" Usopp asked.

"She's been gone too long for that," Chopper said, and Usopp rounded on him.

"SHHH!" he said, covering Chopper's mouth with his hand. "We have to keep Luffy from doing anything crazy!" He turned back to everyone else. "I think we should just wait here for Nami," he said. "We don't want to incur anyone's wrath, especially not this god. Nami's bound to have a secret stash of berri, and we can pay, and get out of here without any trouble."

"That could work," Robin said.

"Let's just go," Zoro added.

"Hey!"

They turned to see the leader coming towards them. "What are you all whispering about over here? It's very suspicious! Do I need to add suspicion of fleeing the island to your charges?"

"Aahh!" Usopp yelled in panic.

"Robin, Kia? Can I interest you in a cup of tea?" Sanji asked, while Usopp ran around trying to please the white berets.

"Sure," Robin answered, and Kia nodded too. Sanji led them away to a bungalow, where they relaxed in the shade, enjoying a drink.

"It looks like they are having trouble," Kia commented some time later, as Zoro looked like he was going to attack the leader of the white berets, and Usopp was trying to stop him.

"From what I've been observing, the man is trying to pin worse crimes on our crew," Robin said without turning to Kia. "It's only a matter of time before we are in real trouble with the law."

"We should be used to that by now, right?" Kia asked with a smirk.

"Indeed."

They all heard the waver before they saw it, and then saw Nami coming barreling back towards the shore, looking panicked. She began yelling as soon as she was close enough, and Kia could hear Usopp responding in shouts. Then, Nami continued to race up the beach, barely stopping before she ran into someone.

Sanji, Robin and Kia made their way down the beach, meeting up with the others.

"Luffy, promise me you won't start trouble," Nami was saying.

"Don't know if I can keep that promise," Luffy answered, still looking angrily at the leader.

"What is this?!" the man demanded, and Conis and Pagaya both stepped forward.

"Captain, this is another member of their crew, now they can get the money for the fine," Conis explained.

The Captain came closer, and pulled papers from his pocket. One by one, he would glance at the paper, then look around at the crew, then place the paper at the bottom of the stack. Nobody spoke, as they weren't sure what was happening.

Finally, he stopped, and looking around, zeroed in on Kia.

"You!"

"Uh… me?" she asked in surprise.

"You were not declared at heaven's gate!" he yelled. Looking to the others, he continued to shout. "Not only have you entered illegally, but you have brought someone in without declaring her! This is the most heinous crime you could commit!"

"What?" Nami gasped. "She was asleep in bed! We tried to tell the old woman at the gate, but the lobster took us away before we could!"

"A likely story! Entering Skypiea without declaration is a crime of the fifth degree!"

"Fifth, huh? Could be worse," Luffy said with a shrug.

"This is not good," Conis said, and the crew turned to look at her. "When you are guilty of a fifth degree crime, almighty Eneru will banish you to the land of the drifting clouds."

"And… that's bad?" Chopper asked.

"It sounds kind of fun," Usopp added.

"It's a death sentence!" Conis yelled. "You'll die!"

"WHAT?!" Nami screeched.

"You're dropped with your ship onto a cloud with no way to escape, and you'll stay there until you're nothing but bones!" Conis exclaimed.

"That explains a lot," Robin commented.

"What?!" Usopp looked at her like she was crazy.

"That galleon, it was 200 years old, wasn't it?" she asked. "Perhaps its crew received the same punishment."

"Most likely," Kia added with a nod.

"Arrest them!" the captain yelled out.

"No!" Conis and Pagaya shouted.

"Stay back, or I'll charge you as well!"

All of the white berets pulled out bows, and Robin helped Kia toward the ship as Zoro, Sanji and Luffy stared them down.

"Nami! Get to the ship! You're in my way!" Luffy yelled, giving her a nudge along that had her tripping.

"Okay, okay!" she cried, running and overtaking the other women. Making it to the Merry finally, Kia started climbing, only to be grabbed once again by Zoro, and thrown over his shoulder on his way up.

"Zoro!" Kia yelled angrily, "What did I say about this?!"

He wasted no words, just put her down on the deck, then went straight to the railing, and jumped back over. Kia followed after him, watching from the railing as Luffy took on the white berets, dodging the clouds shot from their arrows, and running atop the newly formed clouds once they appeared.

He reached out and grabbed a nearby tree, slinging himself into the air, while they all gawked. "A devil fruit!" Kia heard someone yell, and then Luffy's voice could be heard as well.

"Gum-gum… fireworks!"

His body was a spinning ball, with his legs and arms coming out in every direction, hitting the men around him without discretion. As the dust and clouds cleared, they could see that there were white berets on the ground surrounding Zoro and Sanji as well, and Kia was bummed that she hadn't gotten to see them fight.

"By the way, Nami," Zoro called up, and Kia turned to see Nami at her right. "How much money do we have?" he asked.

"About 50,000 berri in petty cash," she answered.

"Is that all? Well, then we'd have ended up in this situation anyway," he decided.

"Why are we so poor?" Luffy demanded as he waved them over, and they started climbing off the ship again. "As your captain, I have to say- you guys spend way too much!"

"Most of it goes to feed you!" Nami shouted back angrily as she jumped back into the water, and stalked up the beach, ready to knock some sense into him.

Everyone stopped suddenly, as they heard the laughter- quietly at first, then growing louder.

"You should have surrendered peacefully," the captain of the white berets mocked as he slowly stood. "after all, we're the friendliest officers you'll find here in Godland. However, __they__ won't be so gentle with you! You are now class 2 criminals! That means that god's priests will be the ones to deal with you!"

There was quiet as the captain and the other white berets slunk away. Kia didn't speak as Luffy came over to help her down to the water. She was feeling exhausted, just from boarding and leaving the Merry, and half of the time someone else had carried her.

"This is terrible," Pagaya stated. "There is no way now that we can help you," he called from further down the beach, pulling Conis with him as they backed away.

"Well, now that Nami's back, she can lead the way to the adventure," Luffy stated happily.

"What?" she asked, turning on him and striking out. "I'm never going back to that place! I don't know if those scary guys are gods or what, but they definitely have god-like powers!"

"Okay…" Luffy grunted as he fixed his hat from where Nami had hit it. "Then stay here, and we'll come back."

"No way! They'll come after us here! We've got to leave!"

"Leave?!" Luffy gaped at her, turned to look at Kia, as if she would help him understand, and then back to her. "Are you crazy? What's more important, your life, or adventure?"

"Am __I__ crazy?! What about you? My priorities are life first, then money!"

"Please tell me I'm third on that list?" Sanji interrupted to ask Nami.

"Don't push me," Nami growled. Turning, she called in a sweet voice, "Conis! How do we get home from here?"

Pagaya and Conis walked closer slowly, not wanting to be too close, but still wanting Nami to hear them. "There is a way down. You'll have to go down one level and sail to the far side of the white sea, until you reach cloud's end," Conis finally answered. "But it's dangerous, and I wouldn't suggest trying to escape that way."

"But it's just as dangerous for us to stay here, isn't it?" Robin asked.

"Not to mention if we stay here, we'll cause trouble for you and your dad," Nami added. "So, we're setting sail. Let's go everyone! Conis, Pagaya, thanks for everything!"

"Hey, old man! Can we have the rest of the food from earlier?" Luffy asked.

"Certainly," he replied, and Kia could see that he and Conis were smiling at them. They liked the crew, just didn't want to get into trouble because of them.

"Woo-hoo! Sanji! Grab the lunch boxes!" Luffy called.

"Oh hey, can I ask a favor too? Do you happen to have any spare parts we can take to help repair our ship?" Usopp asked.

"Of course, come with me," Pagaya replied.

"We'll be back! You guys get the ship ready!" Luffy called out as they headed away. "And we'll head out for adventure!"

"Grr…" Nami growled. "He's going to get us killed! I told him those guys are dangerous!"

"Luffy doesn't care, you know how he is," Zoro said, waiting as Chopper turned large and gave Robin a boost onto the ship. "He won't listen, even if we all gang up on him. And I don't care, so don't expect me to help talk him out of it."

"Yeah, Zoro wants a fight too, don't you?" Kia asked with a grin, and he gave her a smirk, but didn't answer.

"Chopper, you're on my side, right?" Nami asked. _"_ _ _RIGHT?!"__

"Don't answer that," Zoro muttered.

"Uh… was that a threat?" he squeaked, as he hefted himself up the railing. "Whatever, I'm not going," he replied.

"Suit yourself," Robin replied as he jumped up and crashed onto the deck. "You know I was lowering the ladder, right?" she added with a giggle.

"Hey, what if those bad people show up and kill me?" Nami asked, scared, as she ran for the rope ladder.

"Fine by me," Zoro said, and she yelled at his callousness. He walked over and even though Kia gave him a __don't you dare pick me up__ look, he picked her up and climbed the ladder, setting her down on the deck. She didn't bother to yell at him, since she didn't have the energy.

"Robin!" Nami yelled out, still panicking. "Maybe, together, you and I could beat Luffy up!"

"Impossible," Robin responded dead pan, and Kia snickered.

Kia sat there, as Nami continued to freak out and Zoro fell asleep again, and she wondered if she should stop him from pulling up the anchor until the entire crew was on the ship. Then thought that if they were all together, then perhaps the priests would come all together to attack them, which could be worse. She decided she would rather go with what she knew, then to try and change something here.

 _ _Coward,__ she thought to herself, but didn't change her mind.

Robin began pulling up the rope ladder, and Conis came to speak to them. They listened as she told Nami of a current that would help them reach the edge of the white-white sea, giving the crew the ability to outrun those that would pursue them. Nami was thrilled, and swore everyone to secrecy so that Luffy wouldn't find out her new plan.

Conis said she would be back shortly with Luffy, Usopp and Sanji, and then left, telling them to prepare to sail.

Robin and Kia glanced at each other, uncertainty on each of their faces. "This is great!" Nami said excitedly.

"Eh, I'm skeptical," Kia replied, and Robin nodded.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked.

"If this current really existed, wouldn't there be more stories of people returning safely to the blue sea after visiting sky island?" Robin asked.

"Well, most people either don't believe there is a sky island, or don't know how to get here, so it's not surprising to not hear many stories of people making it back," Nami replied.

"That knock up stream could have stopped many people from making it here in the first place," Chopper added.

"Good point!" Nami agreed. "I think we have to trust Conis on this," Nami said. "Let's weigh anchor and get ready to set sail." She turned around and started walking away. "Chopper, use your weight bonus, and help with the heavy lifting, okay?"

"Nami, I keep telling you, it's called heavy point!"

"What?!" she said, annoyed.

"Nothing, never mind…"

"And wake Zoro up!" Nami called as she went below deck.

"But how?" Robin asked looking at Chopper and Kia.

"I don't need his help," Chopper answered. "Heavy…point!" he said as he transformed, and moved to the anchor, and Kia looked out at the water, and steeled herself for what was coming.

Nami came back, having changed clothes and Kia turned her head as Nami sat next to her. "How are you Kia?" she asked.

"Tired, but I'm feeling better."

"That's good," she said. "The bruises are turning yellow, so that's a good sign," she added.

"Not pretty, I'm sure, but they'll be gone soon," Kia replied.

The ship started rocking, and Nami stood up to see what the commotion was. That's when she started screaming.

Kia looked out across from where she sat, and saw the gigantic claw holding the ship as they were lifted up, and started moving away from the beach.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Usopp asked. He looked out over the balcony, and shouted back. "The ship's moving!"

"Huh?!"

Sanji and Luffy ran to the railing, and Sanji looked thru an eyeglass. "Oh No! Nami!" he yelled.

"What? What is it?" they asked him.

"Why… Nami, w-why'd she put on a t-shirt?" Sanji cried.

* * *

"You all jump!" Zoro called. "I'll stay with the Merry!"

"No!" Robin yelled. "Look behind us! There are gigantic sky fish, and they look like they want to eat us!"

"Can we just beat up the lobster?" Chopper asked.

"It probably wouldn't do any good," Kia said.

"Yes, it seems heaven's judgement has already begun," Robin added.

"Very clever," Zoro added, as he shrugged and sat down to get comfortable. "Instead of coming after us, they are bringing us to them. Now we wait, and see."


	43. Chapter 43- Sacrifices

"This is awful Luffy, what are we going to do? We have to rescue them!" Usopp cried.

"Hmm, I wonder," Luffy replied as he thought hard. "Where are they going?"

"Yes!" Usopp exclaimed, then stopped, as he also had no idea. The balcony was silent as they pondered this thought, and as one, they turned to look at Pagaya and Conis.

"The super express lobster is a messenger of Eneru," Pagaya explained sorrowfully. "Everything it carries off becomes a sacrificial offering. If that is the case, they are headed to the northeast side of the Upper Yard, to the sacrificial altar."

"What?!" Sanji yelled. "You don't mean Nami, Robin, Kia and the rest-"

" _ _the rest?!__ " Usopp groused with a smack to Sanji's shoulder, before Sanji continued.

"-are going to be sacrificed?! That jerk better not harm a single hair on Nami's head!"

"I'm afraid you don't understand," Pagaya explained. "It's all part of heaven's punishment. Criminals either become offerings, or undergo a challenge- your friends are currently hostages in Eneru's hands, and they are headed to him as we speak."

"Hostages?" Usopp squeaked.

"I must tell you… the criminals who are to receive the punishment are not them… but, the three of you."

* * *

"Wow! This place is amazing!"

"Lovely Street is the center of commerce for Angel Island," Conis explained.

"Are those floating stores?" Usopp asked in awe.

"Yes, though it takes a certain kind of island cloud for that," Conis replied.

"Ooh, where are the floating restaurants?" Luffy asked.

"Is it me, or is everyone avoiding us?" Usopp asked.

"Word's probably already gotten out that we're criminals," Sanji said. "All these gorgeous angels, and they're avoiding me…" he sighed sadly.

"The docks are right over here," Conis explained as she led the way.

"Look at these cool boats!" Luffy said as he ran around looking at each of them. "I want this one, or maybe this one!"

"Get serious," Sanji ordered. "We have to focus on rescuing Nami and the others!"

"Your boat is this way," Conis said, and they followed after her.

"You worry too much," Luffy told Sanji. "They have Zoro with them!"

"Like we can trust that guy," Sanji muttered.

"I'm worried about the Merry," Usopp added. "She's taken a lot of abuse recently."

"Presenting, the crow!" Conis said with a smile, and the boys stopped to look at the small raft before them. Sanji and Usopp were diplomatic, but Luffy took one look, and then uttered, "I'm not going."

Conis looked shocked at Luffy's words, uncertain of what to do.

"Unless I can take that amazing gondola!" he continued as he pointed down the dock.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Conis said, both relieved and scared. "This is the only boat I own, so it is all I can offer…"

"Don't be sorry my dear…" Sanji said as he turned and started yelling at and kicking Luffy. "You're the one who should be sorry you ingrate! She went to all this trouble to help us, and all you do is complain! What's wrong with you?!"

"I'm shorry!" Luffy told Conis, through his kick-swollen face.

"It's okay," Conis replied, looking down. "Your exit is gate two. It merges onto the milky road that will take you all the way up to the Upper Yard. Just… just follow it, and you'll be fine."

"Hey, Conis…" Luffy asked.

"Yes?"

"You're trembling… in fact you've been trembling the entire way here. Is everything okay? It's like you're scared or something…"

"Speaking of..." Usopp said. "While everyone else is avoiding us like the plague, you're leading us around, lending us your boat, giving directions… is helping us going to get you and Pagaya into trouble? Doesn't that make you an accomplice?"

"Don't cry Conis… you should have just told us you were scared, and we would have come on our own," Luffy said.

"It…it's not… that," Conis looked pale and sweaty, and the boys wondered what was happening. "Don't you think it's strange that I would show you where to go? Almost as if I was leading you to your doom?" She fell on her knees, and her tears fell to the ground. "Please… just run away…"

Sanji looked around at the shaking citizens, wondering if they all were in on this.

"I'm so sorry!" Conis said, causing several citizens to shout out to stop her. "It was me! I called the super express lobster!"

"That thing that took Nami and the others away?" Sanji demanded. "You called it?"

"Please forgive me! If a citizen of Skypiea knows that someone is a criminal and doesn't lead them to Upper Yard, then that citizen is killed!"

"That's crazy!" Usopp said.

"It's our duty… the duty of any citizen…"

"You're saying," Luffy spoke up, "that they forced you to lead us here?"

Conis nodded.

"If that's true… than why even tell us at all?!"

"But-"

"Now your life is in danger too!" Luffy yelled at Conis, as the other citizens backed further away. Light brightened the sky, gathering together, and came shooting down as Luffy grabbed Conis and went running.

"It's too big!" he shouted, and the light consumed everything.

The dust settled, and everyone slowly got to their feet.

"Luffy!" Usopp called, he and Sanji seeing the massive crater in front of them. "Conis!"

"They are safe," a voice called, and looking up, they could see the sky knight atop his flying horse. He dropped Luffy down to his friends, but kept Conis with him. "And she will remain so, under my care. I will not let Eneru harm her."

"Thanks," Luffy said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"What will you do now?" the sky knight asked him.

"The same thing we were going to do before," Luffy said, climbing aboard the crow boat. "We're going to rescue our friends."

* * *

"Nice punch," I said with a smirk at Zoro, and he gave me a withering look, as Nami snorted in laughter.

"Yeah," she agreed. "That was the last thing I expected from our swordsman."

"Probably the last thing the sky shark expected too," I added.

Zoro ignored us both, heading downstairs and returning a short time later in different clothes.

"Going somewhere?" Robin asked.

"Luffy and the others are going to come looking for us," he explained. "The ship will need repairs before we can sail anywhere."

"True," she agreed.

"So we'll make this our base camp. I want to take a look around, maybe find this Eneru guy."

"What?!" Chopper screeched. "What would say to someone so scary?"

"Don't know," Zoro replied, and then smirked. "Depends on his attitude."

I chuckled, Nami rolled her eyes, and Chopper had stars in his eyes as he told Zoro what a badass he was.

"Making powerful people angry isn't the best idea!" Nami yelled at him. "Not only that, he has those priests we have to worry about too!"

"Pff," Zoro scoffed. "I don't believe there is a god here, so I don't owe him anything."

"Wow!" Chopper cheered.

"Oh powerful one, I don't know this guy, and we definitely don't feel the same way. Okay thanks, bye," Nami prayed up to the sky.

"Now who's being ridiculous?" I asked her.

"All of __you__ are!" she retorted angrily. "I SAW his power, not you. I know what I'm talking about!"

"Swordsman," Robin asked, ignoring Nami's rant. "If you are going exploring, I'd like to come along."

"Uh, okay I guess. As long as you don't slow me down," Zoro replied.

"You too Robin?" Nami asked. "But why?"

"Look at this altar," Robin pointed to some symbols carved in the stone. "It must be a thousand years old. Who knows what valuable artifacts we could find out there?"

"Oh!" Nami exclaimed. "Then I'm coming too!"

"What?!" Chopper gaped at her.

"I have to Chopper," she replied, "for history!"

"Right…" I answered, seeing the money hungry look on her face. "I guess you and I will stay here then, Chopper."

"Good idea," Zoro said, as Robin helped him cut a vine so that they could swing to shore. "Chopper, you're in charge. Protect the ship, and Kia, and we'll be back soon."

"Got it!" Chopper said as he gave a salute to Zoro.

Zoro nodded and cleared his throat before giving a Tarzan yell, and swinging over to the shore, Robin and finally Nami joining him.

"You didn't want to go Kia?" Chopper asked me as we watched them disappear into the forest.

"I would have been okay with going, but I didn't want to leave you here alone," I replied. "Friends are there for each other, right?" I asked with a grin.

"Right!" he said as he started doing his cute flattered dance, causing me to chuckle.

I was most certainly limping, but I made my way towards the storage room below decks. "Come on Chopper, let's see what we can do to start repairs."

* * *

Chopper made trip after trip, bringing lumber and tools from the storage room to the different places that we needed them, not once letting me help in carrying anything, even a hammer. I couldn't really blame him, as I limped along after him. I felt fine, in that I wasn't in pain, but my body was sore like I had been clobbered… which, I had been, technically.

"One more trip Kia, so just sit here, and wait for me, okay?" he said, as he turned and headed back up the stairs. I gratefully sank down to sit, groaning the whole way, and trying to get comfortable. By no means could I repair a ship, but looking at Usopp's patch jobs, I figured between Chopper and I, we could get her able to be in the water without sinking.

I leaned back, putting my arms out to help myself lay down. __This was so annoying!__ I closed my eyes, and told myself I'd be back to normal in no time, and to just be patient, but it didn't help. So instead, I thought about what I could do once that priest showed up. I was hoping I could devise a way where we didn't have to have the mast ripped off.

The shrill of a whistle had my eyes popping open in shock, and staring at the ceiling. "No way! He's here already?!" I said. I started moving, ignoring the pains in my muscles as I got to my feet and hurried to the stairs. I could hear Chopper yelling, and I pushed myself faster, tripping a few times on the steps as I made my way to the deck.

"Chopper!" I called as I came out the door, and stopped, staring at the roaring flames that were coating the base of the mast, with Chopper in his heavy point form, slapping at them and trying to put it out.

"STOP! Not the ship, PLEASE NOT THE SHIP!" Chopper yelled, as tears streamed down his face. He screamed in pain as he wrapped his arms around the mast, and tore it away, flinging it into the cloudy water.

The huge bird and large man landed nearby, speaking to Chopper as he panted from where he fell on the deck.

"How spoiled you are," the man said in disgust. "You don't want me to hurt your friends, you don't want me to destroy your ship, and you don't want to die. That doesn't leave me with any options." The priest whose name I couldn't recall _ _, uh, string ordeal guy?,__ glared at Chopper as he moved forward to strike him. "If you want to live so badly, why are you then so weak?!"

He struck out with his lance, and Chopper barely dodged. But where the lance struck, the ship began burning. Chopper quickly put it out, slapping at the wood, then charged to hit the priest, but he had already moved out of the way.

"Here you are, atop the sacrificial altar," the priest spoke from the railing where he now stood, glaring down at Chopper as though he were speaking to a bug. "Your friends trying desperately to reach you so that you may escape."

"Wait... when Luffy and the others come to get us… we can escape?!" Chopper asked incredulously.

"Yes, that's right. You're free to go… provided you survive being here that is." The priest's face took on an ugly sneer. "Of course, when rules are broken, exceptions are made…"

"Exceptions?" Chopper asked uncertainly.

"Yes. For example, if sacrificial lambs were to leave the altar and go into the forest…"

I could see the shock and anger on Chopper's face as he realized why he was being attacked.

"There must be sacrifice. It is law here," the priest continued. "If one escapes… another must pay with death."

The priest put his lance into an attack stance, and yelled out, "Your life is an offering to the Almighty Eneru!" and lumped forward to attack.

"No!" I yelled, lurching forward.

Chopper hearing me, turned, and looked at me in horror when he realized I was there. The priest's lance struck him in the side of his chest and a flame erupted from the tip, as Chopper screamed in pain, and fell back. The priest pulled back his lance to strike again, but then moved quickly away from Chopper as the Sky Knight appeared to fight him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" he yelled, and I finally made it to Chopper, as he cried.

"He came, Kia! The Sky Knight came!"

"I know, Shh…" I said as I moved his large hand away from his wound. It looked like a pretty bad burn, and I shuffled over to the door to find his medical bag.

Returning as quickly as I could, I tried to ignore the sounds of battle above us, as I put ointment on Chopper's burn. He wasn't making it easy, as he moved constantly to follow the fight.

"Huh?! What's happening?" Chopper gasped, and I turned my head to look with him. The sky knight appeared as if he was floating in mid air, though the priest was laughing and yelling at him. He charged with his bird at the Knight, striking him with his lance and the Knight fell into the water below us.

I looked over at Chopper, knowing he would try to save him, and I grabbed his arm. "Get small, and get behind the stairs to hide Chopper," I said quickly. "I'll save him." I turned and rushed over to the side of the altar where the Knight fell, and dove into the cloudy water.

The world around me was silent, and I felt strange. It was very similar to the ocean, yet there was no resistance from the water, no tides or waves that pushed or pulled me, and no salt to sting my eyes once I opened them. I knew I wouldn't be able to get very far down if I went up for air, so I kept looking and swimming, determined to find the man who risked himself to save us… for free.

I spotted him, and made my way to him, finding it much easier to move under the water than I had previously on the ship. I grabbed him, and started kicking us upwards, when something crashed into us, and pushed us further down. I saw pink… and… spots, and realized I was out of breath, and the darkness came for me.

* * *

I woke suddenly, bolting upright, and groaning in pain. Looking around, I realized I was on the deck of the Merry, with both the Knight, and his strange horse/bird. They were both severely injured, and I rolled over to my hands and knees in order to stand up. That's when I caught sight of Chopper, and he wasn't moving.

"Chopper?" I called, as I didn't bother to stand, just crawled over to him, and shook him gently. "Chopper?!" I called more loudly, patting his cheeks. When he still didn't stir, I checked his pulse, and was terrified when I couldn't find it at first. Eventually I discovered he was still alive, but barely. He had many more burns and injuries than he had when I left him, and I glanced around at the three of them sprawled on the deck, hoping that they would be all right.

Chopper seemed the worst off, plus, I needed his expertise if I was going to be able to help the other two, so I grabbed his bag and started cleaning and bandaging his wounds.

"Thanks for saving us, Chopper," I said as I worked. "I'm so sorry…" I trailed off, as I realized that his fur wasn't wet. Thinking about it, I also realized that if he __had__ jumped in the water, he would have been even worse off than me, with his devil fruit making him unable to swim.

"So… who saved us then?" I asked him, as I cleaned the blood from his face, wishing he would wake up.

I didn't get my wish, so I turned to the Sky Knight, determined to do whatever I could for him.

* * *

"Something happened."

Nami turned to Robin. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Merry Go's mast is missing!" Zoro observed. "This is no time to redecorate the ship."

"Obviously they were attacked!" Nami yelled at him. "CHOPPER! KIA! Where are they?!"

"Perhaps they were torn limb from limb," Robin suggested.

"Don't even joke about that!" Nami replied.

"Hey Chopper!" Zoro yelled. "Did something happen?!"

That was when I finally made it to the railing. All of my crying had made it impossible for me to yell that loudly, and they obviously hadn't heard since they were still calling out for us.

"Kia!" Nami called. "Are you guys okay?"

I shook my head, tears falling down my face again. We all turned as we heard Luffy's voice yelling about spotting the Merry, and I knew they would all make their way to us, so I turned to go back to Chopper's side. He still hadn't woken up, and I was starting to worry that he never would.

I stopped in the kitchen, realizing that everyone would need to know what happened, and I didn't want them all crowding in here around the injured, so I turned back yet again, and sat on the stairs waiting for the crew to show up.

When they boarded the ship, I could see how unsettled they were, looking at the burn marks on the deck, and the missing mast. It brought my thoughts back to Chopper, and I started crying again, hating myself as I did.

"Kia?" Luffy asked as he sat next to me, and put an arm around my shoulder. "What happened?"

I didn't look up… I didn't think I could stand to see the looks on their faces. "We split up, and Chopper and I stayed on the ship while the others looked around the forest. One of the priest guys showed up." I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm enough to get the words out.

"Chopper blew the whistle, and held off the priest as long as he could, but… but… he…" I couldn't contain my sobs anymore, as everything flooded back to me again. I had no idea how to make Chopper better.

A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I looked up into Sanji's face. "Is Chopper alive Kia?" he asked me solemnly.

I nodded. "He's badly injured," I said, and everyone around me breathed a sigh of relief. "The Sky Knight came and fought the priest, but both he and his horse-bird were injured too. I jumped into the water to save him, and the horse fell right on top of us, and I blacked out. When I woke up, Chopper was unconscious, and badly burned. I did everything I could for them, but none of them have woken up yet."

That was the most information I could get out, and I was almost surprised that they understood it, in between my crying, and deep breaths trying to calm myself.

Luffy, with his arm still around me, gave me another squeeze. "It's not your fault Kia. I'm sure all of them will be okay."

"I hope so," I replied, though I didn't agree with the first part of his statement. If I hadn't been here, Chopper would not be hurt nearly as badly. For all I could tell, he could die, and I would never be able to forgive myself. I stood up, and Luffy's arm fell from me. "I made beds for them in the kitchen. That's where I'll be, if you need me."

No one stopped me, as I made my way back to Chopper. I followed what he had taught me, and the first aid that I knew, though at this point, all I could do was wait. I held onto his wrist, letting the faint bump of his pulse reassure me as best as it could.

* * *

"This looks bad," Nami said as she looked around. "We'll need to stay here until we can fix the Merry. But for now, we should move to shore."

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"If anyone else attacks us, we don't want the Merry to get further damaged," Usopp explained exasperatedly.

"We'll make camp on the shore," Sanji said, his arms full of supplies.

"Party! All right!" Luffy exclaimed.

"We're definitely not having a party!" Usopp yelled.

"Oh, right," Luffy replied. Looking out at the cloudy water, he noticed the sky sharks and asked, "Usopp, is a barbecue a party?"

Usopp simply shook his head at Luffy, trying to keep himself calm, while Luffy was excited because to him it meant that he could have a barbecue.

After several trips in the crow boat, everyone and our supplies were on land. I remade beds for Chopper and the Sky Knight, and Zoro carried them carefully and placed them down.

After quickly cooking a sky shark for Luffy, Sanji started boiling water, setting up several pots inside each other to distill water for our canteens for the next day. We sat around the fire pit, giving a report on what each group had discovered while we were separated.

I admit, I really wasn't paying attention. I was thinking of what else I could do to help my patients, racking my brain and my notes to help remember what Chopper had taught me. In the end, I went with what he would have done- making antiseptic and burn ointment.

Once the talking was done, I asked Zoro to go to the forest with me, and collect some plants. Sanji chimed in, and asked us to bring back anything we could add to his stew. Agreeing, we headed off.

We hadn't walked far when Zoro asked, "All right Kia, what's the problem?"

"Do you seriously not know?" I replied.

"Sometimes, our friends get hurt," he said bluntly. "That's part of the life we chose as pirates."

I started gathering aloe and garlic into the basket I carried, and pointed up to a tree with bananas hanging from its branches. Zoro unsheathed a sword and swung, cutting down half the tree's branches with the bananas.

"Chopper was doing well..," I said quietly. "I came to help, and distracted him right as the priest hit him. He got hurt much worse because of me."

Zoro looked at me skeptically. "If your positions were reversed, would you blame Chopper for your injuries?" he asked.

"No," I answered. He gave me a smug look before I continued. "I wouldn't have to, since he'd be too busy blaming himself."

I didn't see Zoro roll his eyes, since I had turned away, but I could feel it.

After another ten minutes or so, I asked him if he was ready to go back. He held up several rat and frog bodies, and I made a face. "Are you really going to eat those?" I asked. They were much bigger than normal, about the size of cats or small dogs.

"Luffy will want meat," he replied. "He's not too picky about what kind."

"Very true, blech…" I said, leading the way back to camp. Zoro tried to get me to turn a few times, asking if I was sure of where I was going. I ignored him, and gave him a pointed look when we walked back into camp, which earned me a smirk.

I walked over to Sanji to let him know what we brought, and glanced over at the beds, and saw Chopper sitting up. I gasped and ran over to him, dropping the bowl of plants in his lap, and gently grabbing him into a hug.

"Chopper!" It came out in a whisper, but inside I was shouting. "I'm so glad you're awake!" I pulled back to look at him, tears running down my face, and he gave me a smile.

"I'm okay, Kia. I think my body just needed a rest," he said. He looked down at the bowl full of plants and asked, "What's this?"

"I thought I could make some things," I said. "We're definitely going to need more burn ointment for one," I wiped my face, though my tears were more of relief than anything else at this point.

"That's a great idea!" he cheered, giving me a grin. "I'll help!"

" _ _You,__ will stay in bed," I retorted. "You gave me such a scare, Chopper. I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry…" he said with a gentle smile. "But, my wounds are mostly superficial," he said. "With some more rest, some medicine, and some food, I should be almost healed by tomorrow."

I continued to speak with Chopper, gathering all we needed to make the medicines, letting him know what I had done for both him and the Knight, and getting his input. He told me of the giant south bird that came to our rescue, and praised my healing. I was just glad to find out that I hadn't made a total mess of things, but it didn't stop me from feeling guilty.

I stayed with Chopper the rest of the night, shamelessly doting on him. Everyone eventually made their way over and spoke to him, letting him know they were glad he was all right. Nami then told us how she had discovered the location of the city of gold, putting the maps of Jaya and Skypiea together to form what looked like a skull.

After Chopper translated for some sky wolves that showed up, and the party got underway, the Sky Knight woke up as well. He seemed all right, just weakened by his fight with the priest. He sat up without help, and told of what happened to the island when it appeared in the sky, and how the war between the people started.

I sat and thought for a very long time, as I sketched out some people in my sketch book. I needed to make a decision, because in the morning, the crew was splitting up again. If I somehow changed something again… I needed to decide which team would be okay even if that were to happen- and I wasn't sure which one that was.


	44. Chapter 44- The Upper Yard

My mind made up, I spoke to Nami about staying with Chopper. She argued that we should keep one of the medical people with the Sky Knight, but I told her I was going wherever Chopper went, since I wasn't convinced that he was well enough. She peered into my eyes for a minute, but eventually nodded her agreement.

Then we were off. Robin led the way with Luffy, Chopper and I in the middle, and Zoro bringing up the rear. Luffy reminded me of the dog in that movie, "Up" and every time he shouted out about something he saw, my mind said, __Squirrel!__

"You're in good spirits today Chopper," Luffy said and Chopper nodded in agreement.

"I feel good," he replied. __Plus I feel so safe with Luffy and Zoro here!__ he thought. "And the forest seems calm this morning."

"I know how you feel Chopper," Zoro said. "Nothing but trees and leaves, not a fight in sight. How boring!"

"Mm-hmm," Chopper said which had me smirking at him. He smiled back, knowing that he had a different idea of the forest than Zoro, but not wanting to point it out.

We continued walking, and Luffy tried teaching me a song about the people in the different seas, but it was hard to pick up, and I mixed up the words. He didn't seem to care, and enjoyed the new lyrics I created.

"Why do you keep looking back Chopper?" Zoro asked.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Chopper replied.

Luffy glanced back, and then turned around. "What's that crazy looking root?" he asked.

"Oh, you can see it?" Chopper countered.

"And why is it moving?!" I yelled in horror, as I looked back as well.

"I thought I was imagining it!" Chopper yelled back.

We stared in shock as a snake as large as a town raised its head and looked directly at us. Zoro made a move with his swords, ready to fight, as Luffy stretched an arm up into the tree above us, carrying me up out of the way. "All right catfish face, time to get filleted!" Zoro yelled.

The snake moved to Zoro, going so quickly that he was caught off guard, and not ready for an attack. He barely dodged, getting up into the trees himself. The snake looked around, and spotting Robin hopping up into the treetops via several legs that were blossoming from the trunk, it zeroed in to attack.

Robin made it out of the way, and the snake bit the tree trunk instead. We looked in fascination as the trunk began smoking, and when the snake released it's jaws, the trunk had been melted down by the snake's venom.

"Acid!" Zoro yelled to us all. "Change of plans! We're running away!"

Luffy started swinging from branch to branch, distracting the giant snake, giving time for everyone else to run. He took a moment to help me down behind the tree we were in. "We'll meet back up!" he shouted as he took off luring the snake away.

The snake didn't go for it, and went after Robin instead. She jumped from the branch she was on, catching a vine made from hands, swinging away.

"Awesome Robin!" Chopper called. The snake looked toward him, and he screamed, and ran another direction. Zoro made his way down his tree behind the snake, and made it to the ground, only to turn and see the snake looking directly at him.

"Crap." He looked disgusted before he too yelled and ran off.

"AAHHH!" I turned towards the sound of Chopper's voice, alarmed. Only to see him take off running in the wrong direction.

"Chopper!" I yelled, chasing after him.

* * *

I stopped to get some air, panting heavily. __Dang, that Chopper is so fast when we wants to be!__ I had no doubt in my mind that I was lost. Chopper wasn't concerned about anything else as he ran away, and made quite a clear, if messy path to follow after him. However, I was also certain that he had no clue where he was going, and several times I was certain I went in a circle.

I didn't shout out for him any longer, as I could hear the sounds of battle around me. Between the guerrillas, the divine warriors, the priests, and of course Eneru being here somewhere, I would rather be lost than found by one of them.

However, I also moved as quickly as I could, knowing that Chopper would be facing a priest. Several times, I took cover, hearing the fighting much too close, explosions going off around me. Once or twice I even thought I heard screaming, and I moved on as soon as it was clear.

I had no way of gauging the time, since the sun was blocked by the giant trees, but I would say I walked for over an hour. Eventually, the Chopper-made path I was following was gone, so after looking around I decided to go towards a huge mass of cloud cover.

Eventually, I hoped to find the giant beanstalk, and would have no trouble finding my way from there. I kept moving, thinking about what Robin, Luffy, and Zoro would be up to before we met up again.

Finally, I stepped onto a piece of stone, then another, and looking down I could see pieces of what used to be a road, and looking forward, I could see what looked like buildings in between the trees. I started running, and came into a clearing just in time to see a guerrilla fighting with the swamp priest.

The choice now was to wait for Chopper, or to start climbing giant jack. I didn't want to distract Chopper in his fight… but if something new happened, and he needed help? I had to stay.

I found what looked like a safe place to hide, but would be easy to run out of if needed. I had just barely gotten settled when I heard Chopper's voice.

"Where am I? I'm so lost, and because of all the trees, I can't see the position of the sun!"

He sounded so sad that I almost yelled out. But before I could decide if that would be worth it, he spoke again, excitedly.

"I made it! These are the ruins, and it looks like I got here first! Hee hee!" I grinned at his cute little giggle.

I peeked out, to see if he was alone… maybe we could avoid the fight with the swamp guy all together.

I got to a place where I could see, only to see Chopper right in front of the priest. "Where are you hiding?" the priest asked. "Come out right now!"

I gave a small gasp involuntarily, as I was grabbed from behind, and a hand placed over my mouth.

"Gedatsu!" The man holding me hollered. "You can't see the enemy with your eyes rolled back in your head!"

"So careless!" the priest said. He stared at Chopper for a few minutes, until Chopper finally got annoyed.

"Say something, you jerk!" Chopper said.

"Gedatsu, we can't hear you unless you speak out loud!"

"That's not something someone normally forgets!" Chopper yelled, annoyed.

"Watch where you step…all around us are swamp clouds. The survival rate is 50%, so good luck," Gedatsu finally answered.

"Hey, you're sinking!" Chopper yelled, and Gedatsu just laughed.

"It doesn't affect me, you idiot!" he called out, using dials on his shoes to rise far above us. Chopper looked in awe at the awesome shoes, before Gedatsu threw a swamp cloud down…

The man suddenly let go of me, as the cloud descended on us. We both tried to get away, but ended up bumping into each other, I heard Chopper call my name in shock, and then I couldn't breathe.

It's hard to describe the sensation. It wasn't murky, like I would think a swamp would be. More that it was dense like trying to breathe through a wet towel. Feeling the cloud with my hands, it was light as a feather, but my hands just went straight through it.

An idea popped into my head and I dropped to my knees. It was crazy, but it worked. The swamp cloud stayed with the divine warrior, and I dropped right out. Breathing heavily, and coughing up water, I felt the man drop next to me. I yanked his feet, pulling him out of the cloud.

Chopper reached my side, and turning into his heavy point he slammed his fists down on the man's stomach, dispelling the water from him, and allowing him to breathe again.

The man… _ _uh, goat-man?__ was very grateful to still be alive, and joined Chopper in facing off against the priest. Gedatsu took him out with a single elbow, though to be fair he did have a dial to add to his hit. The goat-man was out cold, if not dead.

"Kia, stay back!" Chopper called as he crunched down on a rumble ball. "Jumping point!" I watched as Chopper fought Gedatsu, wincing at the hits he was taking. I had to intervene… if anything, just to give Chopper a quick break.

They both fell, and there was a large explosion of clouds and such. Seeing Chopper get up was painful. He was weaving side to side as he tried to walk. I ran forward, hoping that I could do something.

"Kia, no!" Chopper shouted as I neared, stopping me in my tracks.

"I need to help!" I yelled, moving forward again. Chopper would be trying to get his shoe off, so I could create a distraction maybe.

"No! I'm supposed to protect you!" Chopper yelled, pushing me back.

"You can't even protect yourself!" Gedatsu sneered. "Swamp cloud…." Chopper and I both moved away to avoid being hit by his swamp attacks.

"I've got to do this on my own," Chopper said stubbornly. "Stay back," he told me, and this time, I obeyed.

I watched as he defeated Gedatsu with a cloven cross hit, both of them falling back down, with Gedatsu landing in one of his own swamp clouds.

"Finally! I'm one of the pirates too!" Chopper cheered, his arms raised up in victory. "I really beat him!"

"Good job," I answered. "Now sit down, so I can look at your injuries."

* * *

"I swear, you stupid bird!" Zoro yelled. "Stop following me, or else!" He grumbled as the bird continued to give its strange call, and look at him even though its head was turned facing backward.

"I ate all my food, so there's none for you!" Zoro yelled again, but the bird looked nonplussed. He grumbled and continued to walk, looking for his lost friends.

He turned a couple of times, just to be sure that the bird __was__ following him, and not just walking the same way, and the stalker bird just made him more and more angry.

He turned and waved his arms, hoping to scare the bird off. "Go on! Get out of here!" he yelled, but the bird only looked at him.

Finally he just walked on, ignoring the bird behind him. He didn't come across any more snakes, or guerrillas, or any other fights, in fact it was pretty boring. Eventually he came to a wide open area, and stopping he glanced around at the scene.

"This looks somewhat familiar," he said aloud, taking in the huge altar in the middle of the lake of clouds. "But… I can't be sure!"

Hearing what seemed like a cough, he turned to find the huge bird giving him a smile, and his anger jumped out again. He threw the bag from his shoulder directly at the bird's face, demanding, "are you laughing at me?!"

He watched as the bird seemed to be cussing him out in bird language, and he was glad he didn't understand, because he'd probably end up killing the thing, and then Chopper would be mad at him again.

He thanked his training for his quick reflexes as the bird suddenly grabbed his bag and started flying away, because he was able to grab it before it was gone forever. But he also cursed the stupid bird, because Zoro was not meant to be in the sky! "Where are you taking us, dumb bird?!" he screamed.

They flew over the treetops, and Zoro couldn't help but continue to yell. "Where are we going? Are you even listening to me?" The bird just made its call, and Zoro grumbled. "I'm gonna pluck you, and we'll cook you…"

He didn't finish his thought, as there was a rumbling in the trees below him. Looking down in concern, he got a huge surprise as a giant snake tried to eat him, as if he were food dangling in front of it!

"Fly higher! I don't want to be snake chow!"

The bird was flying fast, but looking down, Zoro could see the snake following them. "Can't you fly any faster, you dumb bird?!" he yelled. Instead, it felt as if the bird slowed down, and Zoro watched the snake's body in agitation, wondering where the head was.

Then, the idiotic bird flung him away, bag and all, and Zoro yelled as he fell, knowing that if the snake didn't get him, the ground certainly would. "AAAHHHH!" he yelled as he fell, hitting a few things on the way.

Seeing the ground coming quickly, he put his bag in front of him, using it to take the brunt of the impact. Standing shakily, shrugging off the pain to deal with later, he grumbled, "Oh, that bird's gonna pay…"

"One of Straw Hat's friends," he heard a voice say near him. "It's you!" another called. He looked up and around.

"More ruins, huh?" he thought out loud. "And these guys look pretty tough," he reached up to wipe the blood from his nose. "Can't be helped," he said before raising his voice. "Hand over the gold!" he called out.

"Another greedy infidel, seeking salvation!" the man on his right sitting atop an old building and next to a giant dog said.

"Enough!" called the guerrilla to his left. "Get out of my way, or I'll destroy you all!"

"The time has come!" the Sky Knight across from Zoro shouted. "Tell me where Eneru and the divine squad are!"

Zoro glanced to each of them at his sides, knowing he would be fighting soon. He unsheathed his sword with a smirk, his interest peaked at this four sided fight. He moved his arms, ensuring he had the range of motion he would need. He didn't flinch as the snake appeared behind the man and his dog, roaring in its own way.

"Something really pissed that snake off," Zoro muttered.

"There is only one way to pass, and that is to survive." Zoro looked up at the man, who now stood, his sword in his hand, and Zoro grinned in anticipation.

* * *

"That stupid snake keeps getting in my way!" Zoro muttered as he panted. He looked around noting the changes in the buildings around him.

Seeing an alleyway that looked full of wire had him pausing, until he noticed the bodies on the ground. Looking closer, he jumped up and started running.

Then he was on the ground, his arm stinging, and his swords dropped. Looking up, he saw the barbed wire, then turned to the first body he could reach. "Chopper! Talk to me!" He shook Chopper gently, seeing the large cut across his chest.

"Why?" he asked. "Why would you try to take this guy on, on your own?!" He stopped as he looked over to the other, knowing he had his answer. "Kia?!" he pushed her hair out of her face, relief flooding him as her eyelids fluttered. "What happened?"

"Z…Zoro?" Kia asked, her voice barely heard.

"Stay down," he said softly, hoping the priest didn't hear him. "I'll take care of this guy, then we'll get you two out of here."

"mkay," Kia responded, closing her eyes again.

 _ _Touch my crew… and you're dead,__ Zoro thought, his rage pointed at the priest.

"A shame," the priest said, and Zoro glared. "Those barbs, are iron cloud. Light as cloud and hard as iron. I admit, I'm to blame for the animal, but the girl? She did that to herself, taking him into my ordeal." He adjusted his glasses, noting the blank look on the swordsman's face. "I suppose you'll want revenge now."

"No," Zoro answered. "Believe it or not, I usually won't fight for that reason at all."

"Oh?" the priest said. "I'm impress-"

" _ _Normally__ ," Zoro interrupted. "But…" he glanced up and into the priest's face. "you've convinced me."

* * *

"AHHH! Leave us alone!" Nami screamed for the umpteenth time. __These stupid goats keep following us!__

Hearing a collision behind her, Nami slid her waver to a stop, panting heavily. She heard several people yelling, and thought she heard her name. Looking up, she saw Zoro, which relieved her.

"Zoro!" she called, trying not to show how happy she was to see him. Before she could truly comprehend what the guerrilla beside Zoro was saying, she saw a flash of blue flame heading straight for her, and was suddenly whisked out of the way.

 _ _I'm tired of seeing my life flash before my eyes! s__ he thought. The sky knight interrupted her inner monologue asking why she was here, making her upset. __Like I would choose to come here!__

"We couldn't help it! We were chased by this giant… AAAAHHH!" she screamed as darkness surrounded her, and they were all falling. __What is happening?!__ her mind screamed along with her.

Landing from a fall was always painful though this one wasn't too bad, but she still was sore, which meant she had no patience for Aisa's nonsense, nor the old man's.

Neither of them seemed to understand that they had been eaten by that giant snake, and even when Luffy showed up from deeper in the stomach, she thought for a moment that they were saved. That moment passed of course, and she was ready to kill Luffy. __That moron,__ she thought. __Like I'd agree to go out the back way.__

Punching Luffy definitely made her feel better, but that set the snake off again, and they started falling once more. __Worth it though.__

Luffy made up for it by using his balloon form, and keeping them all alive. Nami was confused, as Aisa tried to threaten the sky knight, and eventually, no talking could convince her and she struck out at him. Luffy stepped in, keeping her from attacking, and Nami couldn't tell if Aisa was angry or relieved that he did.

In the end, they followed Luffy's example, and worked together to escape from the snake.

* * *

I opened my eyes again, wondering if it had just been a dream, but no, I could see that Chopper had been laid next to me, where I couldn't reach him before. Standing slowly, and picking up Chopper, I looked around for Ohm and Holy.

I walked carefully, very slowly, not wanting to set off any more of the barbed traps. The fighting I could hear was far from us, and I made my way toward it, and giant jack.

Lightning suddenly surged all around us, and I fell on the ground, covering Chopper with my own body. I screamed as we fell, the clouds breaking up around us. Zoro appeared beside us and I screamed again when his hand touched my arm.

"HOLD ON!" he shouted at me, and though it was crazy, I suddenly felt safer. __This idiot is going to die if he protects us from this fall,__ I thought, and started squirming to get free from his arms. His grip was like steel though, and I couldn't break free of it.

As crazy as he could be about pain or blood, Zoro knew how to survive. He crouched on a rock, jumping from it at the last moment, just as it crashed, making our own landing a bit softer. From his own yell of pain however, I knew he was injured.

He was strong though, and somehow, serious injuries were not so serious like they were back home. Stitches seemed to mend flesh overnight, burns and bruises gone in hours. No wonder everyone needed to protect me, I didn't heal like they did. It had taken several days to get over the worst pain from a beating, and I still could see the fading bruises.

I wanted to just lay there, but Zoro was already trying to push a huge chunk of rock away so that he could stand, and I wanted to lessen their troubles, not add to them. I moved as much as I could, and took Chopper, so that he could use both arms. He flung the rock away, and stood there panting.

"Swordsman, Artist!" we heard, and turned to the sound. "Don't tell me you fell down with all of this," Robin said.

"Yeah, we did." Zoro sounded kinda fed up with it all. "And it almost killed me!"

"I'm amazed it didn't," Robin replied. "Are you sure you're all right? Both of you?"

"Yeah," Zoro said, and turned to look at me. "You, Kia?" he asked.

I gave Robin a look. "Artist? Really?" I asked sarcastically, and Robin flushed slightly, knowing that I understood how she was trying to distance herself.

"Uh, good to see you Robin, but where are we?" Zoro asked.

"This is the city of gold."

"Really… looks the same as the ruins above us. Did you find the treasure?" he asked, as we walked towards her.

"No, I didn't. In fact it looks as though the gold wasn't ever here."

"If the Shandorians wanted this for their home, I don't see why the Skypieans wouldn't give it to them," I said. "It's obvious that they aren't using it."

Hearing the voice yell, "El Thor!" and the lightning crash down on the giant snake, Zoro started yelling about Nami being dead.

"I'm sure she's fine," I said, trying to calm him, but he rounded on me.

"There's no way she survived that!" he yelled at me.

"Zoro? Kia? And Robin? Where did you guys come from?" Nami asked, as she peeked out from behind a crumbling wall.

"Glad to see you're all right, Navigator," Robin said.

"Us?! How did you get out of the snake?!" Zoro demanded.

"Up there," I said, pointing up. "The ruins above came crashing down, and so did we."

"Me too," Nami said. "Falling was how we got free of the snake, but I'm worried about Luffy and Aisa, they were still inside."

"Luffy?!" Zoro facepalmed. "How the heck did __he__ get in there?"

"I don't know, but I tried to get him out, and he fell off the waver!" Nami replied.

"That brat is such a pain! Does he know how much trouble he causes?!" Zoro yelled at Nami.

"How should I know?!" she yelled back.

"This isn't exactly helping!" I cut in.

Hearing voices, Zoro pushed Nami and I toward a wall as he and then Robin followed the sky knight toward the voices.

Knowing that Eneru knew we were here, I handed Chopper to Nami, and I stood up to watch. I couldn't go up to the ship with Nami, that could cause so many problems, so I knew I needed to stay here. That meant I would most likely be electrocuted, and I could only hope that I would survive as everyone else had thus far.

I knew I was trembling, but I thought that watching the four of them stand up to Eneru would give me the courage to do the same. __I hope…__

"You're the only one dying today," they all said together.

Eneru smiled. "Insolent fools," he said through his sly grin. "Listen to yourselves," he uttered with a laugh. I watched as Eneru explained how he could not be defeated. As Ganfal questioned his intentions, and how Eneru explained how he would travel to the endless vearth. I wondered if anyone here figured out he meant the moon.

If he would just go, I'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem, but he was determined to destroy everything before he left. Everyone gasped, when he told of the future of Skypiea being ripped to pieces and plummeting down to the sea.

I watched as he taunted Ganfal into attacking, letting him go straight through him, and reappearing at his side to take him out. It happened so quickly, and yet, as if it was all in slow motion, I watched each moment.

"He's eaten a devil fruit!" Zoro said.

"The rumble-rumble fruit," Wyper added.

"The fruit that is said to grant invincibility, the power of lightning!" Robin gaped.

"Lightning!" I heard Nami behind me. "A human can't fight against that!"

"One down, and one more to go," Eneru said, as he peered around at the group. It was my moment, I was certain, before he got really angry.

"Me!" I called, and they all turned to look at me.

"Kia! No!" Nami hissed.

"I won't go, in fact I doubt anyone will," I said, my voice growing with the fake confidence I was projecting. "You'll be all alone with no one to fear or obey you, and only your loneliness to keep you company."

Eneru laughed, as I suspected he would, but seeing Zoro run towards me had me stepping back in shock. Especially when his sword came out, and he swung it at me, before everything went black.

* * *

"Was that necessary?" Robin asked as he returned next to her.

"Would you rather the lightning man take care of her?" he growled.

"You blue-sea dwellers are more ruthless than I anticipated," Eneru said with a chuckle. "But here we are, just on time. Now come along. You will join me, as I gain passage to the endless vearth!"

"Why would we?" Robin asked, sounding bored.

"There will be a utopia of eternal power, led by god and only the chosen may enter and bask in the glory of my company!"

"And if we refuse?" Robin asked.

"And why would you?" Eneru asked. "You would rather be destroyed? Humans are not the smartest creatures, but they do tend to choose survival over death."

"Why would you destroy this land when it still has something that you seek?" Robin asked.

Eneru looked at her for a moment. "Now I see… let me put your mind at ease, woman. Based on your previous travels through Shandora, as well as my own, I am quite certain as to the location of the golden bell, and will picking it up on the way." His grin disappeared as he raised a finger towards Robin. "You, however, will not be joining me, as the thing I hate most in all the world, is a cunning woman."

The lightning shot from his finger, straight at Robin. Nami screamed her name as the lightning travelled through her and she passed out. Zoro barely made it, but caught her before her head could hit the ground.

"How __dare__ you!" he glared at Eneru, who laughed.

"Were you not one to take out your own female crew mate before? It seems I have merely helped you," he said and continued to laugh.

Zoro wasted no time, attacking the would-be god. The guerrilla took his chance as well, and before Nami could think straight, they were both down as well.

Nami looked up at the man who was made of lightning, knowing that she didn't want to die and knowing that she couldn't help her friends if she was unconscious. "Uh, I'd like to go, sir.." she said to him. "I've always wanted to go to your dream world!"


	45. Chapter 45- The Fire of Shandora

I was awake, and aware, but didn't open my eyes yet. My head was throbbing, and even trying to think was making me nauseated. I reached up, and felt the painful knot on the side of my head. Since there wasn't any blood, I figured Zoro hit me with the back of his blade. I suppose I should be grateful, but I wasn't feeling that way at the moment.

I continued to simply lie there, even when I heard voices. Luffy and someone screaming, and finally Robin's voice as well.

"The navigator is with him. He plans to destroy all of Skypiea…"

"What?!" a girl screamed.

"Robin, is Kia okay? And the others?" Luffy asked, and I could hear the worry in his voice.

"They will be," she answered. I could hear the noise as Luffy and the girl left, and got lost in my thoughts once again.

Eventually I felt a touch on my face, and opened my eyes, squinting at the light. I saw Robin above me, peering down into my eyes. "Can you stand?" she asked.

"I think so," I replied. "his sword was turned, but he still packs quite a punch." I moved slowly, but was eventually on my feet.

"We can't stay here," Robin said. "We need to move up the beanstalk. Can you help me move them?" she asked pointing over to where the other unconscious people were.

I looked over, seeing the three large men and little Chopper. I nodded, and said, "it will be slow going, but yes."

Slow going was a bit of an understatement. Robin was still weak, and couldn't use her powers for much more than hand holds as we climbed. It was a very strange sensation, gripping warm, human hands as I climbed up a giant plant. We decided to go with the heaviest first, so I had Wyper, and she had Ganfal. I thought that Zoro would be heavier with all his muscle mass, but the armor the former god was wearing was pretty heavy.

We used bandages from my bag to tie the men to our backs, knowing we wouldn't be able to hold them with just our strength, and then putting Wyper's arms over my shoulders, I held his arms with one hand, and started climbing with the other.

Frequent rests, and a lot of sweat later, we finally reached the next level of cloud layer, where we had been before Eneru had caused us all to come crashing down. We pulled Wyper and Ganfal over to a shaded area, and laid them back out. I was glad they were still unconscious, mostly because that trip would have been very uncomfortable otherwise.

After an extended rest, we made our way back down to our friends. I argued with Robin a bit about who would take who, and finally she relented to take Chopper. I had a valid point that she was using her energy to help us climb.

I'm not sure why I bothered, since she used more of her energy to help push me upwards, but I didn't complain. Zoro was heavy, and I was ready to be done with the piggyback rides. Robin went first, and got to the top long before I did, but I could see her up there with her arms crossed, and I could feel the push on my feet from the hands below me.

Just as I got to the top, we heard a strange noise. Robin looked up, and I asked what it was. "A… ship," she answered.

"It's him… Eneru," I replied, and she looked back to me with a nod.

"There are massive thunderclouds filling the sky around it as well," she said, as she grabbed my arm to help me up.

We moved Zoro over to the others, and I looked them all over, putting on medicine and bandages where they were needed. Knowing Zoro's adverse reaction to too many bandages, and thinking that Wyper was most likely the same, I went sparingly with them.

After cleaning up Chopper, I found his wound wasn't as bad as it originally looked, which was a relief. He had definitely been through a traumatic experience, and the fact that he was still out was proof of that.

Robin and I sat together afterwards, just watching over the others and waiting for the next problem. We saw the huge bolts of lightning that Eneru was sending down, though we were both calm. Going over what we knew, we determined that waiting here was the best course of action.

Hearing some shouting, we looked up, to see Pierre and a little girl come falling at us. "Robin! Watch these two for me!" Luffy shouted from up above them. Robin made a few extra hands in order to catch them, and I could barely hear her words over the screaming of the girl.

"Luffy! What are you doing?" she yelled

"Robin! The bell is at the top, right? Eneru is going after it?!" we heard.

"Yes!" she replied. "If it's here, it's at the top! But Luffy…!" she stopped yelling, and turned to look at me. "and… gone."

"Were you expecting him to stay and get the whole plan?" I asked with a smile. Robin rolled her eyes, and turned to the girl. "So, little one, have you seen our Navigator? She's a woman with orange hair," Robin asked.

"You mean Nami?" the girl said, and pointed up. "She's on the ship. Luffy went to save her."

Robin and I both nodded, seeing as that made sense why he was in such a hurry. Though we were all surprised when Nami came riding up on her waver with two others in tow.

"Miss Navigator, and Long Nose, and the cook too," Robin said, as the girl ran to give Nami a hug. I looked at them, seeing Sanji draped over Usopp's shoulder, so I went to help him. After Usopp laid him down, and I did what I could for his new burns, I went to look over the others again.

I could hear Nami and Robin in the distance, explaining quickly what was going on, and Nami deciding to go after Luffy. I shook my head as she told us to get back to the ship, wondering when they all would finally get Luffy's determination to see things through, no matter what. I knew we weren't going anywhere, so I continued to check on the injured.

I had just gotten back to Wyper, when I heard, "Hey! Get away from him!" and found Aisa in front of me. Since Nami had helpfully said her name, I didn't need to worry about being introduced.

"Aisa, isn't it?" I asked, and she nodded warily. "Well Aisa, I'm just checking to make sure he's still in good condition, and seeing if he needs more medicine. He's in pretty bad shape, having used his reject dial on Eneru."

"He… he did?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah, he did. It almost worked too," I answered. "Since he's the most injured, I've been staying close, just in case. But I promise, I'm only trying to help."

She looked at me again and asked, "You're part of Luffy's crew?" she asked, and I nodded. "Okay then, but I'm watching you."

"No problem," I said with a smile, and moved on to Pierre, who had lain down next to Ganfal.

The minutes stretched on as we waited, and once we discovered the huge spherical cloud descending on Angel Island, no one spoke any longer. We all just watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the cloud descended like a peaceful rain only to explode in a huge flash of light once it touched the ground.

The noise was unlike any other explosion, but the light was brighter than staring directly at the sun. We all shielded our eyes from the blast, and when it finally ended, and we looked out again, we found… nothing. Nothing at all was left of Angel Island, not even the clouds it had sat upon.

I felt the movement next to me, and put my hand out to stop Wyper from moving. "Be careful, you have many injuries," I said, then let him go. It wasn't like he was going to listen to me anyway. I moved over to Zoro, as I saw him move.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked, helping him sit up.

"Like I've been electrocuted."

"Nice," I replied, knowing how grumpy he was when he was injured. "Do me a favor and stay sitting for awhile, okay? If you do, I won't pay you back for the huge knot on my head."

He winced, but nodded, and I got up to check on others. Ganfal was the next to wake up, and once he saw what happened to Angel Island, he was inconsolable. But he stayed sitting by Pierre, so I let him be.

"We should hurry and go," Robin said loud enough for everyone to hear. She picked up Chopper, ready to head out. "There is nothing else we can do here."

"We're not all here," I commented, gazing out at the sky around us.

"Kia, we have to go!" Usopp cried. "We'll die if we stay, and Nami is bringing Luffy back to the ship, remember?"

"No." I turned my head and said, then turned back away.

"No?!" he exclaimed to me, coming up and grabbing my shoulder to turn me around. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no. I'm not leaving, because Luffy isn't leaving. You know as well as I do, that once he gets an idea in his head, nothing will sway him. Nami might reach him, but that doesn't mean he'll go."

"What?" Usopp said again, but I just shook my head. "We didn't come here just for us," I said more quietly.

"Eneru is almost at the top of the vine," Robin announced.

Ganfal looked up this time, in confusion and asked, "What does he want that is there?"

"I believe there is a large golden bell there that he is searching for," Robin answered, and I saw Wyper turn to face her and glare.

"A golden bell? That's what you said, isn't it?" he demanded.

"Yes," she replied.

"And Eneru desires it?" he asked and she nodded. "You must tell me exactly where it is!"

Usopp was yelling between them, trying to convince everyone to leave, but their conversation continued.

"At the top of this beanstalk," Robin said.

"You're sure?" Wyper demanded again. "How do you know?"

"Wait wait!" Usopp yelled. "We promised we'd meet on the ship!"

"The coward's right," Aisa added.

"The remains of Shandora are below us. The beanstalk pierces through the heart of the city," Robin explained. "A map I discovered there indicated the belfry was in the center as well."

"So… it's right above us then," Wyper said, and I watched his demeanor change from anger to awe.

"Hey!" Usopp called. "Why are you ignoring me?!"

Wyper started to walk to the beanstalk, and Aisa did all she could to stop him. He turned to her, for some reason explaining, "Great warrior Kalgara longed to hear it ring!" he told her. "It is our true goal!"

"Our true goal?" she questioned, and he nodded.

"Luffy's too," I said without turning, and I could feel the eyes on my back.

"Kia's right," Zoro spoke up. "Luffy told us earlier that he wanted to ring that bell, and he won't stop until he does, Nami or no Nami. He wants the old timer to hear it."

Robin looked concerned. "Yes, he did say that, but given the situation…"

Wyper interrupted, looking angry, "he's going to ring the bell?!"

"Yes," Zoro answered. "No matter what."

"He'll find a way," I added softly.

"Hey! Something's falling, look out!" Usopp called, taking cover. A giant leaf fell down around us, and several people looked up.

"Something is written on it!" Aisa called out, getting everyone's attention.

"What's it say?" Usopp asked from his hiding place.

"Cut down this beanstalk, and make sure it falls to the west," Robin read aloud.

"It's from Nami and Luffy!" Aisa said happily.

Zoro stood, determined now that there was an actual plan. His captain needed something done, so he would see it done. "Hey Knight," he called to Ganfal. "Which way is west?"

"Wait, we're going to do it?" Usopp cried, running over.

Zoro turned to Ganfal. "Which way?" he asked again.

"Yeah," Usopp said. "Which way?"

"That way," Ganfal pointed. "Toward Eneru's ship."

Everyone looked up to the ship, seeing the humongous sphere starting to descend from the clouds around it.

"It's even bigger than the last one!" Usopp cried. "We'll never get away now! What exactly are they even planning?"

"It's pretty obvious," I said, and they turned to me as I faced them. "They're using the beanstalk as a ramp, and as it falls they'll jump over to Eneru's ship.

"That's crazy!" Usopp said.

"Then you go up and stop Luffy," Zoro suggested.

"He won't listen!" Usopp screeched.

"I don't care how crazy it is," Zoro said. "we have no choice!" Lightning started striking the ground around us, and we all picked up the injured and ran from the beanstalk. "That maniac is trying to destroy this land, and there are only two people who can reach him now!"

Zoro turned and headed back to the stalk, pulling his sword free.

"Watch out for lightning!" I called after him, just as he narrowly avoided a strike. He avoided several more and attacked the vine, cutting out a huge slice of the stalk before he was struck again by Eneru's power.

"Zoro!" Usopp called out, but he didn't move. "He did it though, he cut it! Even though he got zapped!"

"But it isn't falling," Robin said.

"You outsiders from the blue sea are pathetic," Wyper said as he stood shakily. "We Shandorians are the descendants of Kalgara, if anyone should ring the bell it should be us, not that kid in the straw hat!"

"Don't listen to him," Usopp told us, "he's too banged up to stop us."

"He has a point though," I offered. "Though considering you can hardly move, and have no way of getting up there in time…" Wyper glared at me, as he fell to his knees again.

"The swordsman cut through half of the stem," Robin said, looking at the stalk.

"Then… then perhaps some exploding stars will take care of it!" Usopp said bravely. "Once again, I must come to the rescue for my crew! Robin, Kia! Leave the dangerous stuff to me, and watch over our fallen comrades!" With that he headed for the stalk, shooting his exploding ammo in hopes to take it down.

Wyper continued to glare at me, and I just smiled in return. "Before we came here, we met a man who told us of his ancestor. The man was an explorer, who said he stumbled upon a city of gold…" I trailed off as I saw Wyper's interest peaked.

Robin also noticed, and picked up where I left off. "Yes, people laughed at him, and called him a liar. But his descendant still believes the stories. He has spent years searching the blue sea for any evidence of the city of gold."

"Luffy is up there," I said, as Wyper stood again to face us, even though we were watching Usopp now. "Because if he rings that bell, then down in the blue sea, they will hear it, and know that it not a myth, that the city of gold exists in the sky."

"Do you understand now?" Robin asked. "Noble isn't it? Trying to vindicate a man he never knew? He has had chances to escape, but he's determined to see this through." She smiled, and didn't notice as I glanced over at her. "That guy's nuts…" she said.

"What.." I turned slightly, hearing the emotion in Wyper's voice. "What is the name of this descendant?" he asked.

"Montblanc Cricket, why?" Robin asked, glancing back as well.

"And the ancestor that came here…" I could feel tears welling up in my eyes at the soft tone of Wyper's voice and the tears coming from his own eyes. "please tell me… was it Noland?"

"How…?" Robin started, as she too turned to fully face him.

"Wyper?" Aisa asked. "Why are you crying?" Wyper put his hand on her head, though I wasn't sure is he was about to fall again from his injuries, or if he wanted her to feel a part of it all. He was silent, and we stayed quiet as well, as he peered up at the sky.

Then, there was a huge shaking, and Wyper was moving to the stalk. He pushed Usopp out of the way, and climbed up.

"REJECT!" he called, and there was an explosion through the stalk.

"Wyper!" Aisa called.

"That fool!" Ganfal muttered.

"We have to get him and Zoro out of there!" I yelled as I headed toward them.

"We have to run away!" Usopp called as he ran towards us. I tried to avoid him, but he caught me and pulled me along to the others.

There was shouting from both him and Aisa, as they cheered on Luffy, but before long, lightning lit up the sky again, and there were bolts coming down all around the base of the stalk.

"He's trying to make it fall down before they reach him!" Robin said in shock.

"Usopp!" I yelled. "We need to get Wyper and Zoro!"

"Kia, we can barely keep ourselves alive!" he yelled back, trying to put out a fire from a bolt that struck near us.

I stood at the edge of the cloud, waiting for the lightning to stop so that I could enter. "Once it stops, I need all your help!" I called back. "I won't be able to carry them both on my own!"

All we could do is watch as Wyper stood back up, and shouted at the sky.

"Wyper!" Aisa called as Robin held her back. Eneru struck again, and we were all pushed back by the blast of lightning around us.

"The vearth, of course!" Ganfal said. "It will not fall to him!"

The lightning stopped and the stalk continued to fall. "Get out of the way!" Usopp yelled.

"Go! Go! Straw Hat!" We heard Wyper yell.

I looked up, seeing the huge sphere moving towards us again. It looked as if death was coming. "Luffy's taking care of it!" I yelled "Let's get our friends!"

I moved forward, and Usopp came with me. It was hard to go, as most of the cloud cover was gone from between us and the stalk, but eventually we made it, and searched around for Zoro and Wyper.

We stopped as the sky suddenly became clear, the giant thunderclouds gone. "Way to go Luffy!" Usopp cheered.

"Ring it Straw Hat!" Wyper called, letting me zero in on his location. "Light the fire of Shandora!"

"Usopp!" I called over to him, "Find Zoro!"

"Right!" he said, though he was looking up as lightning came across the sky, making him jump.

I came up to Wyper, though I waited as the bell rung, letting Wyper enjoy the moment he had worked and fought for his entire life. I looked over as Zoro sat up, seeing how close he was, and went over to him. He shrugged me off, but I checked him over anyway.

He looked okay, which was crazy in of itself, but the real miracle was Wyper. How he was alive, I didn't know, but the fact that he was still standing? Insane amount of willpower. When he crashed, he would crash hard.

Zoro and I sat, waiting for that inevitable moment. Wyper however, began speaking of Noland, hoping that he could hear the sound of the bell, wherever he was, and his descendants as well.

Zoro gave me a look, so I began to share the story with him, how Noland was friends with the Shandorian people back then, and then coming back, found the city as well as his friends gone.

"No wonder he refused to deny it existed," Zoro said. "That would be denying his friends existed as well."

"And he couldn't do that," I agreed.

Wyper finally exhausted all his energy, and I looked to Zoro. "You need more rest, or can you make it?" I asked.

He looked at me, and I could see the indecision on his face. "You know, it's okay to be honest when it's just you and me," I said with a smirk, and headed over to see how I could help Wyper.

"I guess I'll rest some more since we're staying then," he said with a grumble and I grinned to myself.

Eventually, the others came looking for us, and I was so happy to see them all awake again, even though they were all covered in bandages.

"You've taken good care of them," Chopper told me, as we ganged up on Zoro.

"Heeeeeyyyyy!" We heard, turning to the sound of Luffy yelling. Now, we were finally back together again!

"Nami! And Conis!" Sanji yelled in a sing-song voice, so happy to see them.

"You brought food?" Zoro asked, standing up, obviously done with the bandages.

"Yep!" Nami answered. "We found the priest's storage locker on our way back!"

"There was lots more!" Luffy said with his mouth full.

"Is this all that's left?" I asked teasingly, and the others laughed.

"Hey, at least he did leave some!" Nami joked, and we laughed again.

We started setting out cloths to use as place mats, and Zoro asked about Conis's father, only to find him right by us. Conis was ecstatic of course, and we heard about the Skypieans making their way towards Upper Yard.

We ate slowly, enjoying the rest, and the company. I grabbed a few things from the stash and started grinding ingredients to make more medicine, we had gone through most of our supply after all. Eventually, it grew late, and Nami suggested we sleep on the ship that night, but Luffy vetoed that right away.

I knew I'd be asleep as soon as I laid down, but once the Shandorans and Skypieans came, the party started and was out of control before we could do anything about it.

I made my way around the huge fire, handing Zoro another mug of ale, to which he nodded. Sanji pulled me into a dance, followed by Usopp. I handed a handful of snacks I had grabbed to Luffy, and winked at Chopper before sitting again.

I didn't have my sketchbook, so I simply looked at everything I could, committing it all to memory.

* * *

I woke, but it was still pretty dark. I could hear the snores of several others, so I closed my eyes again. I heard Luffy whispering to Nami about stealing the gold, and then suddenly they were yelling, then Usopp was joining them, then Chopper, until not only were we awake, but everyone around us was too.

After four days of partying, we were all ready to head out, though to be honest, I think Robin could have looked at the ruins forever. The Shandorans were searching for the bell, and Robin was most eager to get a look at it herself.

We also hadn't left because Chopper and I had been monitoring the injured, and swapping medicinal recipes with both cultures.

But leave it to Luffy to get down to the main reason, "We're going to steal the gold," he said. "And run!" Everyone became excited at this new plan, everyone except for Robin, who wasn't there, and me, who… let's be honest, didn't want to go into a snake's stomach.

The problem didn't come until later that morning, when I came upon Zoro and Chopper talking to Luffy. They were trying to convince Luffy to leave me behind on the gold hunting, and he wasn't getting why. I didn't want to go, true, but I didn't want to be __kept__ from going either, so I did the sensible thing, and listened in.

That turned out to be a mistake, because I heard something I had been dreading for awhile now.

"Kia's immune system is slightly weaker than ours," Chopper said. "It takes her much longer to heal from injury, so we need to keep her safer than anyone else."

"Plus the fact that she can't fight," Zoro added. "She needs to stay back from now on, until we know if an island is safe or not."

"No way," Luffy replied annoyed. "She's part of the crew, so she goes," he said stubbornly. "She's our friend, so if she needs protecting, it's our job to protect her."

"No one is saying we won't," Zoro said. "You know we'd all protect her with our lives if necessary."

"All we're saying is, let's keep her from getting hurt," Chopper added.

"Hmm, I don't want her to get hurt…" Luffy said.

"Exactly," Zoro replied. "She can stay out here, and let Robin know what the plan is when she gets back from wherever she is."

"Okay then," Luffy said. "Is it time to go?"

"Almost," Chopper answered. "Just a few more things to gather, and Usopp is still down there trading for dials."

I barely heard that last sentence, as I was already moving away. I couldn't care less if they wanted to keep me safe from islands or snakes or whatever now. __Zoro had said they would protect me with their lives, and the other two hadn't disagreed. With their__ lives _ _!__ __They couldn't do that! Didn't they know how important they were?!__

The rest of the day was a blur, I just shrugged as I was informed to stay while the others went in search of the gold. I didn't know why, but some of them decided to stay back too. Before I knew it, I was headed back to the ship with Nami and Conis.

"Kia, what's your problem?" Nami asked.

"Nothing," I said, shaking myself from my thoughts. "I'm just uh, sad… to leave, I guess."

Nami narrowed her eyes at me, not falling for it, but Conis started talking about all the things we've done for her and her people, and Nami didn't have the heart to interrupt her.

* * *

After the initial drop, which was frightening no matter if you knew it was coming, and hearing the bell sending us off, everyone settled in for our journey back to the sea.

I grabbed my sketchbook, making several quick sketches of the people we had met so that I would be sure to remember the scenes. Then I turned to a further page and starting making a pro and con list. Zoro sat nearby, and went to sleep. I looked over, unsure if this was going to be part of his new, "keep Kia safer" strategy.

I glanced up as the other gathered on the balcony after Nami screamed about being off course. Then Zoro woke up with a yell, "something's wrong!" only to burp, and then say it was just a dream. Luffy of course, found that funny, though no one else did.

Hour after hour, we waited, doing normal things. Eventually Zoro woke up, and claimed he was bored, which I admit was a first, if he was too bored to even sleep.

"Hey Zoro, if you're bored, I've got something you can do! And it's fun!" Luffy's voice called out.

"Where did his voice come from?" Usopp asked. I pointed up, but I don't think anyone saw me.

"Yeah, he sounds pretty far away," Nami replied.

"Luffy!" Sanji called. "Where are you!"

"Up here!" Luffy called back, and everyone moved so that they could look up at the octopus balloon, to see Luffy bouncing on top of it like it was a trampoline.

"Luffy! Get down! Right now!" Sanji yelled.

"Why are you yelling?" Nami asked him, as he ran to the edge to climb up.

"The octopus is shrinking!" he yelled back to her, and she repeated his words to the others.

"It does look smaller than it was before," Robin said.

"It needs to get smaller in order for us to descend, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Not necessarily," she answered. "And shrinking too fast would make us fall from a very great height."

We looked out as Luffy and Sanji tumbled over the side, waiting to hear from the three that were at the railing. Hearing Sanji yell at Luffy was one good sign, and the three breathed a sigh of relief. Of course all that stopped once the balloon lost most its air, and we were suddenly below Luffy and Sanji.

"We're going to hit the sea so hard, we'll sink to the bottom!" Nami yelled as all of us found ourselves floating above the deck as we fell.

"Only if the ship doesn't shatter first!" Robin yelled in response.

"Shatter?!" the word caused Usopp to forget everything else in order to protect the Merry. "I guess it's up to me then!"

He climbed to the railing, and hooked his "Aaaahhh!" grappling hook, then shot out, bringing himself underneath the ship, where he put several breath dials. We all breathed easier as the ship slowed in its descent, even me, though my butt hurt from falling back to the deck.

Just as we got comfortable, the balloon lost what air it had, and we went crashing down to the sea.

"Nami! Robin! Kia! Are you okay?" Sanji called out.

"That was scary!" Nami replied. "What happened to the balloon?"

"Seems it lost all its air," Robin said.

"Wonder how that happened," Sanji growled at Luffy, who at that moment, got an octopus balloon attached to his face.

"Don't whine," he said with a laugh. "At least we're still alive!"

"It seems so far away now," Robin said, looking up.

"Yeah," Chopper agreed. "Like dream world. I wonder if we'll see it again?"

"Who knows?" Zoro said with a smile to Chopper. "Maybe you'll see something similar when you die?"

"Not you," Usopp frowned at Zoro. "I doubt you're going any place nice."

"Why you jerk…" Zoro grumbled.

"By the way," Luffy said, as lights came on all around us, and sirens started blaring. "Does anyone know where the heck we are?"

 _ _This was it…__ I thought. __Navarone…__ I hadn't been sure if we would be landing here or not, but now was the chance I had been looking for. It was now… or never.

"We've got to get off the ship!" Robin said as everyone began running around.

"Kia!" Chopper called as I ran for the door.

"I'm right behind you!" I called back, heading to the bedroom. I needed to hide my sketchbook. I couldn't let the marines find it, there'd be too many questions. Nami had shown me one of her many hiding places, a false bottom in one of my drawers, and that's what I made a beeline for. I grabbed what I could, and ran up to the deck, diving off the side.

With all the lights on the ship, I'm sure I was spotted, but no one came after me in the water. I made my way to the shore making as little noise as I could. I was freezing cold, and I shivered in the air as I walked on the shore towards the building.

I could hear the patrols with their low heeled boots as they walked, so taking my own wet shoes off, I snuck inside what looked like a vent. Putting the screen back in place, I laid inside, and curled up, taking the time to sleep, since nothing would happen until morning anyway.

I never claimed to be sneaky, but even I was surprised at how quickly I was caught. I was taken straight to the Commander's office, where he just stood there, and watched me. It was extremely unnerving.

A knock on the door sounded, and a marine came in with news of a couple of marine ships outside the gate that wanted clearance to come in.

The commander approved it, and began talking to himself as he walked around the office. "I've haven't been so riled up in quite some time," he said. "But they are stuck here, so the problem now is finding them. But why did they come to Navarone in the first place?" he asked as he looked at some wanted posters. Turning, he looked at me.

"Purely by accident," I replied. I wasn't going to say much, but that was something I could say over and over and would never be believed about. True to form, the lieutenant commander sneered, and the commander chuckled.

"I'm sure," he said. "So, you're part of the straw hat crew?" he asked me.

"No," I replied, which had his eyebrow rising. "They were giving me a lift. My family and I became separated here on the grand line, and I'm trying to find them. I was stuck on an island that they stopped on, and they offered me a ride, that's all.

"I find it interesting that you would accept such hospitality from pirates," he said with a sly smile. I'm sure he was intent on catching me in a lie, but he was looking for motives that simply weren't there.

"It was temporary, and they are unlike any other pirates," I answered. "I have reason to believe that Vice Admiral Garp knows where my family is, so if you'd allow it, I'd like to stay."

He made eye contact with me, until it felt uncomfortable again, but I didn't back down. "If I find that you are being truthful, we'll speak of this again," he finally said. I nodded, knowing that was as good as I could expect. "Am I safe in assuming that you won't tell me much about the pirates?" I hesitated, but then nodded. "For now then, you'll have to wait in a cell."

I nodded again, and waited as he called a marine in to escort me away.


	46. Chapter 46- Navarone

Previously- The Straw Hats leave Skypiea, only to find themselves landing inside a marine base. Kia, deciding that she can't let any of her new friends get hurt in her place again, decides to leave the crew, and try to meet up with Reese by going through marine channels. She is placed in the brig, in a cell nearby the one Zoro is occupying.

* * *

I sat there in the cell, my hands bound behind my back, though only with rope. __Guess I wasn't dangerous enough for anything worse…__ After a time, they brought Zoro in, and placed him in the cell across from me. I lucked out, and he didn't notice me. Several marines stood at the front of his cell keeping watch on him, and blocking my view.

The lieutenant commander came down as well, and interrogated Zoro, but of course, he didn't believe a word Zoro said, even though he was answering honestly.

"You'll never believe it, but they caught Roronoa Zoro!"

 _ _Oh no…__ Chopper thought from his hiding place.

"Yeah there's also a girl that claims she's not part of the crew, but we all know she is,"the voice continued. "Can you imagine how great it would be if __we__ found some of the crew?"

Chopper snuck out, and ran for it, only to find himself being chased by marines. Hiding worked somehow, and he snuck inside a crate. He found himself being transported, and was shocked when he discovered he was in a medical room.

His shock continued to grow as he found himself helping the doctor there, Nami revealed herself dressed as a nurse, and he gave the doctor a pep talk to get her into surgery. He surprised himself when he told Nami to leave him behind if she needed to, because he truly believed he needed to stay and help the wounded.

He found that not only he, but Nami too became invested in the young doctor, and cheered with her as she was able to perform the surgery that she so feared. He wondered if this was how Doctorine felt when he was able to perform what he had been taught for the first time.

I rolled my eyes as Usopp was brought in kicking and screaming. _ _Seems his disguise didn't pan out,__ I thought to myself. From the sound of it, Zoro didn't think much of the display either. I was surprised that Usopp was put into the same cell, especially since I was in a different one, but I didn't dwell too long on it. Usopp spent the time cursing Robin's name.

Zoro finally told Usopp that Robin was right to not help him, because now Usopp was safe with him. Usopp was skeptical, since there were several marines with rifles pointed at them, but really, you couldn't do much better than having Zoro on your side.

"Why aren't all three of them together?" One marine asked another, and in the quiet of the room, we all heard the question.

"Don't know," the other replied. "Just following orders."

"Who else is here?" Zoro demanded. "Where are they?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" another marine taunted.

"Whoever is here, yell out so we know!" Usopp called. Several marines turned to glare at me, but I didn't need the warning. I knew if I wanted the commander's help in the future, I needed to keep my distance from the Straw Hats, so I didn't reply.

"Who is it? Who's there?" I heard them yell out, but I stayed stoic, glaring back at the marines on the other side of the bars.

We sat in silence for some time, until the patrols changed. I looked across the bars, and saw Zoro staring back at me.

"Kiana," he said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

I just looked back at him, and didn't reply.

"It's Kia?" Usopp asked, moving over to where he could see me. "Kia! Are you okay? How'd you get caught?"

I looked down, sad that the time had come, but I had to give some explanation, didn't I? "I swam to shore and fell asleep," I said. "They got me pretty easily I guess."

Zoro's expression didn't change, but Usopp went on for a bit about being sorry for me, and just wait until Luffy and the others came, we'd get out.

"No," I said finally.

"Huh?" Usopp replied. "No, what?"

"No, I'm not escaping."

"Kia, you must've hit your head, you don't even know what you're saying."

I looked back over to Zoro, seeing the understanding in his eyes. He didn't get a chance to say anything, as another person was brought down, and placed into the cell with Zoro and Usopp, though none of us recognized him.

Hearing him scream out about court marshals and such made it pretty clear to us all, and Usopp was quick to turn the tables on him, claiming that he give up the ruse now that he was caught. Condoriano was not the first name I'd choose, but it did make me smile again.

The marines that brought him down bought it however, and were quick to leave him. Since the hunt for the pirates was in full swing, there were even less marines down here guarding us than before, and we were no longer blocked from each others' view.

"Hey, Condoriano," Zoro said as he stood and walked to the man causing a fuss. The man turned and Zoro quickly head-butted him. "Take it easy," he said and he walked over to sit directly in my line of sight. "Usopp!" he called after sitting. "Knock it off, you're creeping me out."

I looked over at Usopp just as he finished his inner celebration, and had to admit, the look __was__ pretty weird.

"I have some questions, and I'd like some answers for once," Zoro said, and I turned back to see him looking at me.

"For once?" I replied.

"You're good at deflecting," he replied.

"No promises," I said, and he nodded. I saw Usopp sit down, listening intently, as were the two marine guards.

"Did you get caught on purpose?" he asked, and I was grateful he started with an easy one.

"No, but I didn't really try not to either," I said. Usopp started to say something, but Zoro cut him off with a look.

"Back on Jaya, what was going on with you?" he asked.

I gave him a look. "What kind of question is that?" I said. "Lots of things," I answered, and he rolled his eyes at me.

"You went to some trouble to change the way you look," he began. "Why?"

"I promised Nami she could pick my outfit and hairstyle on the next island," I said.

I could see he was angry at my answers, but he kept his cool. "What were you hiding from?" he asked, and I just stared at him. I thought quickly, but at this point, I supposed it couldn't hurt for even the marines to hear.

"Blackbeard," I answered quietly.

I could see his eyes narrow, as his mind sought to place the name. I could see on his face once he did. "Blackbeard," he replied. "The guy-"

"Yeah," I said, answering before he could mention Ace. "You met him, though you didn't know it at the time. I met him too, though it was long before when he and his crew came and destroyed Drum Island."

His eyebrow raised, and I continued on. "He killed one of his own crew mates, for a devil fruit, and then started his own crew. They showed up on Drum Island, killing and burning homes. Blackbeard shot my friend, right in front of me, and because I was injured, I couldn't get her to help in time, and she died."

I heard Usopp apologizing, though he had already heard the story, but I couldn't look away from Zoro. I could see the sympathy in his eyes, but barely. It kept me from thinking too hard about it all.

"Then we got to Jaya, and all around us were members of his crew. Then we went into that bar, and there he was."

"The big guy, with the cherry pies," Zoro said, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek. __That's it Kiana, no more than that…__ I told myself.

"Yeah. That's why I hid. I thought he would recognize me from Drum. And if Luffy knew who he was, and what he had done…" I trailed off, certain Zoro would get it.

"He'd want to fight," he finished, and I nodded. "He also came after us, as we sailed off," he said, and I nodded again.

"I don't know about that, but from the sound of it, he wanted to turn Luffy in for the money… which, doesn't make any sense."

"And now?" Zoro asked. "What's this all about?" I let my face go blank this time.

"This is about me not being a pirate," I answered. "You all offered me a ride, and help in finding my family. The Commander here can take that duty from you."

"Duty," he said back to me and I almost winced.

"Yes," I said. "It's not right to expect you all to protect me when you're getting into trouble. You're pirates, you need people that can take care of themselves."

"Is that so?"

"I need to find my sisters, and I can't do that with pirates," I said stubbornly, looking away.

"Oh?" Usopp butted in. "And what about your __brother__?" he asked. I didn't look back up, knowing he was talking about Luffy. I had no good answer, but I finally replied.

"He'll understand," I said, and turned around so that I didn't need to see the disappointment on their faces any longer. They didn't say much after that, or if they did, I didn't hear it. I was too busy questioning myself to truly notice.

I heard the shouting and looked up to see the dock worker being caught by the hiding marines. He went over and spoke to Usopp about repairs to the Merry, until the lieutenant commander had him escorted out.

Not long after, we could hear Luffy yelling for us.

"Hey! Luffy!" Usopp shouted back.

"Usopp, the guards can hear them coming too," Zoro said.

"EEE!" Usopp gulped. "No! Turn back!" he shouted. "But then, who will come to rescue us?" he asked Zoro. "I'm confused, tell me what to say."

Zoro smirked. "I guess they can rescue us if they want to," he replied, and Usopp yelled it out to them.

Moments later, Luffy and Sanji appeared and we all discovered the bars were sea prism stone as Luffy fell down exhausted.

The guards surrounded them on both sides, and with Luffy on the ground, Sanji looked a little nonplussed. He kept his cool as he always did- except in front of the ladies- and started kicking the bars, but they didn't budge.

Usopp went over whispering, and Sanji reached into Usopp's pocket, pulling something out.

"This is your last warning!" the lieutenant shouted.

"Shut up gorilla man," Sanji replied holding up the dial. "I'm going to show you something interesting."

"A shell?" the lieutenant said, looking confused.

Sanji leaned down and pushed the button, only to hear Usopp's voice come from the shell. Sanji's face turned extremely red, and all the marines looked confused.

One, feeling bold, asked Sanji about his super cool weapon, but backed down quickly when Sanji threatened to gut him.

Usopp came forward and offered his other pocket to Sanji who grabbed the dial out, and put it to the bars, pressing the button.

The ensuing smell was so bad I thought I was going to vomit, and I coughed discreetly and hid my face in my shirt.

"What kind of juvenile barbarian would store a fart in my odor dial?" Usopp cried.

"I thought.. it would be funny…" Luffy managed from the ground.

"Why did I even ask?" Usopp cried out again.

"Get down!" Sanji yelled suddenly, and then the gas was ignited by the lanterns on the wall. Once the dust settled from the explosion, I heard him yell out, "You guys okay?"

"Uh… mission accomplished?" Usopp said.

"Something like that," Zoro replied, as he went for his swords. He threw Usopp his bag. "No point standing around then," he said.

"Right!" Luffy cheered, as Sanji helped him away from the bars. "Let's go!"

I smiled until I realized that Zoro was coming towards me. "No, I'm staying!" I said, but he didn't listen. He just picked me up, and slung me over his shoulder, and headed out of the brig.

Being over someone's shoulder, with my hands tied, while they were running… was probably the most uncomfortable thing ever. Several times I heard marines, and then I'd hear something from Luffy- some gum-gum whatever, and then we were running again.

I had little doubt that I wasn't getting out of the next conversation I was going to have with the crew, so I stayed quiet in hopes that no one would notice me. Luffy and Sanji… somehow didn't know I was with them just yet, thanks to Zoro keeping back. I didn't know if he was doing it on purpose… but he probably was.

Eventually we made it to the outside, and the guys took a look around before we were suddenly getting shot at. Usopp, Sanji and Zoro ducked behind a rock, but Luffy stayed right where he was. __Must be nice to not be afraid of bullets,__ I thought.

"So you finally decided to come out of hiding," the voice of the Commander called out to us, and Zoro stood back up.

"It's the base commander!" Usopp hissed to us.

"Jonathan," Sanji said angrily.

"Hey fortress guy!" Luffy shouted up with a grin. I listened to their conversation, unable to see anything, but eventually a cannon was shot at us, and the guys took off. Finally I was able to see the Commander standing up on a balcony, and I shouted.

"I'm not with them!"

Briefly I saw the Commander's gaze on me, and I hoped he realized that I was being taken along unwillingly. I would hate to go through all of this only to end up in the brig forever.

Once we were clear they found a large rock to hide behind and Zoro put me down since Sanji was picking a fight with him about the way he was carrying me. Luffy smiled and said, "I didn't know you were here! That's awesome!"

Sanji came back, cool and collected. "Here Kia, let me get those ropes for you," he offered. Both Zoro and Usopp quickly said, "No!" which had Sanji and Luffy staring at them.

"Why not?" Luffy asked, confused.

"We don't have time to talk about it now," Zoro said. "Kia thinks she's leaving the crew and staying here, so we have to treat her like a hostage." Luffy looked back and forth between us a few times, then shrugged.

"Kia, is that true?" Sanji asked, and I looked away.

That was all they needed, and the guys began discussing which route to take, and came to a consensus that the bridge was the only way to go. The path below had a lot of marines, but it seemed the bridge itself was clear.

"It's like they're inviting us up there," Zoro said.

"A trap, definitely," Sanji agreed, and I smiled. __They'd never agree so easily if the situation wasn't so serious.__

"Who cares?" Luffy said with a grin, punching his own hand. "I say we go for it. I'm not scared, what about you guys?"

"If it is a trap," Sanji said. "We'll just spring it."

"Worrying about annoying stuff is annoying," Zoro agreed with a smirk, and I tried to keep in my laugh, but I snorted. __These guys were so priceless!__ I thought, as Zoro glared at me. Luffy took off, and Sanji followed. Zoro pushed Usopp ahead, and hefted me back over his shoulder. __Here we go again,__ I thought.

We made it almost to the end of the bridge before the trap was sprung, and marines came at us from both sides. Zoro put me down, and I crouched in at the wall, trying to look invisible. One by one, the marines grabbed onto the guys, and it almost looked like there would be a problem, but as always, these guys don't give up that easily.

I winced as Zoro was head-butted over and over, as Sanji was surrounded. Usopp was doing fairly well using an impact dial to protect himself from sword swings. Then, Luffy stood up from the mound of marines on top of him, and used a bazooka to clear the path.

My smile was short lived, as the marines grabbed onto his arms and surrounded him again. His leg shot up in the air, and came back with a crash, and everything we were standing on started crumbling.

I let out a scream, and heard Sanji shout my name as I fell down with everyone else into the water.

* * *

I finally opened my eyes, hearing Sanji yelling at Luffy, and felt myself being put down on the ground. I looked up, and was a little surprised to see it was Usopp that had me.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I think so," I answered, and closed my eyes again. "You should have left me, the marines would have saved me."

"Screw that," Zoro said, and I opened my eyes again to look over at him. "Let's go everyone," he said, and came over to pick me up again. "Which way?"

"This way," Usopp answered, and led us onward. Once again we were running to the dock.

It didn't take long before he called out, "It's just around this corner!" and the guys ran in… to stop suddenly at the sight of marines all around them.

"Sniper team, take aim!" the lieutenant called out. I couldn't see what was happening, but I could imagine it pretty well, and by the way Zoro was tensing, he was ready to fight.

"Gum-gum balloon!" Luffy yelled, and suddenly we were pushed away, Zoro barely managing to keep his feet. He quickly put me down behind a crate, and went back to Luffy's side. It was as if I was a part of the fight, but no one attacked me. The marines shot flash bombs which had my eyes watering endlessly, and there were several things that came flying by me.

But for some reason, I didn't move or hide further. I wanted to watch them fight, at least this one last time. It was different when they didn't have to worry about protecting me. I laughed as Zoro and Sanji insulted each other while they fought the marines, and then as they began fighting with each other instead.

Then Luffy was captured in a net, and we found out it was made with sea prism stone, so we knew he couldn't get free. Just when everything looked hopeless a gurney came flying in, running right into Usopp. Chopper suddenly appeared from under the sheet and turned big, shouting at how the soldiers had wounded his friend.

Sanji and Zoro stood looking at the scene in confusion, unsure of what to do, as Nami and the woman with her began screaming about being hostages. I started laughing, I couldn't help it. They were so amazing, and none of the guys understood a thing. Chopper was even asking them what they were doing! Just to solidify my standing, I screamed out about being a hostage as well.

The best part was when Chopper finally got it, and turned around acting like a scary monster, and Zoro just stood there and clapped at his performance with a smirk. Chopper growled and gave out some demands, and Zoro and Sanji finally understood what was going on.

Once the marines agreed to let them go, Zoro went and freed Luffy, helping him up. "Hey, Curly brow," he called. "Grab Kia too."

I had had a small hope that I would be forgotten, but I saw Chopper and Nami's faces as Sanji went over and picked me up princess style. It was extremely uncomfortable, my hands and arms had begun cramping up, and I fought back a little, telling him to leave me there.

He gave me a disappointed look, but kept walking. We had almost made it to the ship when the marines grabbed the doctor, and tried to grab Nami by creating a distraction. Luffy got us all on board, but it hurt like hell, and I wasn't surprised at all to watch Sanji and Nami punch and kick him while screaming at him.

It was pretty amazing, the fact that the crew had made it this far, and had gotten the ship back too. Here we were, sailing through the bay, completely unsure of how to escape, and still missing Robin. As Chopper came over and untied me, I just massaged my arms, wincing at the pain, without saying anything. The time had come… and I wasn't looking forward to it.

"It's Robin!" Sanji called, and we watched as Robin came swinging over to the ship. She handed a map to Nami, and she smiled at the crew.

"It's very tense, why is that?" she asked, looking around, until her eyes came to me.

"I guess it's time you all knew," Usopp said. "Kia's decided to leave the crew, and she wants to stay here with the marines."

Everyone looked at me, some in anger, some in disappointment, some in shock, and one in confusion.

"You've been acting strangely ever since Jaya," Robin admitted. "What happened?"

"You don't mean that, do you Kia?" Chopper asked with his puppy eyes on me.

Everyone started talking, asking me questions, demanding answers… until I couldn't take it anymore.

"You don't understand!" I yelled, which had everyone going quiet. "I mean, how could you? You're strong, brave, smart… everything I'm not! I've tried, but I can't, I'm too weak! I'll get someone killed!"

"Kia, that's not true," Nami started.

"Yes it is!" I cried, interrupting her. "Chopper almost died because he tried to protect me!"

"That's not true," Chopper said.

"I __heard you!"__ I yelled, turning on him. "You and Zoro telling Luffy to leave me behind on the ship, how I can't handle getting hurt like the rest of you!"

The crew looked stricken, and Luffy looked at me again. "Yeah, they did. But friends want friends to be safe, don't they?" he asked me.

"I'm not letting anyone die because they were protecting me," I spat back at him. "It wasn't for forever anyway, and the commander said he could help me get in touch with Garp, so I can find my sister."

"Look," Robin said calmly. "There's no where to drop you off, even if we wanted to. So," she continued over the protests, "let's figure out what we're doing first."

She had good timing, as cannons started firing at us, and Nami started barking orders. I decided to wait by the railing, there was bound to be a chance to jump ship soon.


	47. Chapter 47- Sailing Through the Sky

"So Kiana, I never thought this would happen," Robin said as she leaned on the railing next to me.

"Kiana?" I asked, "What happened to __artist?__ " I said sarcastically.

"Yes, well, it was something I thought I would try," she answered. "Not every idea is a good one."

"Let me guess, you don't think mine is a good one too," I said grumpily.

"Whether I do or not doesn't matter," she replied. "Your life is yours to decide. However, I would like to remind you of something."

I turned to glance at her, though she was looking out at the water. I listened as she spoke of several times that we had talked before, and the things I said to her about the crew. It wasn't as though I didn't remember, or that I didn't still feel that way, but hearing it from her perspective made me rethink.

The crew decided to go back for the gold, once they discovered it was missing. A plan began to form, and Robin guided them to an empty dock where they could hide the ship. No one spoke to me, as if I wasn't there. I knew they weren't doing it to hurt me, they were just focused on what needed to be done… but it was effective.

Finally, Nami walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. "Can you wait for a little while?" she implored. "I mean, you can go if you want, but I could really use a friend."

I finally gave a smile, and nodded, and she led me down to our room.

"You may think I don't understand, but I do," she said once we sat on our beds. "I'm not exactly the strong one here," she admitted. "And, yes, I've learned how to fight, but that's been years of learning the hard way."

I looked at her in question, before realizing that she was talking about her past.

"Back before I met Luffy," she started. "I lived on an island in the East Blue…" I listened intently as Nami shared her story with me. It was slightly different than I had heard from the manga or the anime, but her terror was very real. She would still shiver when she mentioned Arlong, though I wasn't sure if she realized it.

"You have to be strong, when it's for people you care about," she finished. "You may not think you know that, but you do. I watched you stand up to Eneru, knowing what he was capable of, so that you could save your friends. Just like we do for each other."

"It's not the same Nami…" I replied.

"No, not exactly," she agreed. "But you've got to admit it's pretty close."

We heard Usopp yelling for Nami, and she stood up. "We're going to go get the gold. I hope you're here when we get back, but if not, I understand." With that, she walked out the door, and I sat alone with my thoughts.

I continued to sit there, as I heard the noise of the crew giving the Merry a disguise, but once I heard Chopper crying, I couldn't stay put any longer. I walked up on deck, seeing him grinding something while he tried to be brave, and I couldn't stop my smile.

"Hey Chopper," I said quietly, and he whipped his head around.

"Kia!" He shouted, then slapped his hooves over his mouth. "I'm so happy to see you!" he said more quietly, and ran over, changing to his heavy point on the way and enveloped me in a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked him with a chuckle.

"For making you feel weak," he answered. I rolled my eyes and pushed back from him so I could look in his face.

"You didn't make me feel that way," I answered. "I __am__ weak."

"Doesn't matter," he said with a frown. "I am worried about you, but I went about it wrong. Leaving you alone on the ship at every island would be horrible, believe me, now I know…"

"It's not that Chopper," I said. "Look, I don't really want to go into all this now. I just came to see if you needed help."

"Uh, yeah! I'd love help!" he grinned, changing back into his brain point form. "C'mon!" he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me over.

 _ _Obviously I'm having a hard time letting go,__ I told myself as I worked with Chopper. __After all__ , __I don't really want to leave … I just know I should.__

Even after Sanji and Nami returned, and Sanji stayed back to help get the ship ready to sail, and even after Usopp, Robin and Zoro returned, I still hadn't left. I kept telling myself that I needed to say goodbye to Luffy, that I just wanted to see him again, get one more squishy hug.

We set back out into the water, our battleship disguise was definitely bad, but it worked well enough at a distance. Nami and Luffy soon joined us, with the gold, and the crew was celebrating. Luffy caught sight of me, and walked over, and I stood up to greet him.

"You're still here?" he asked me in disbelief, and I smiled.

"I can't just leave my big brother without saying goodbye," I said, my smile faltering. "Besides, I wanted a hug."

"I don't hug weaklings," he said before he grabbed me into a huge hug. We stood there for a moment, just enjoying it.

"Looks like you just did," I said quietly as I squeezed him back.

"Nah," he said. "You're gonna get stronger.

"I don't think I can," I whispered. "Not strong enough."

"I'll help you," he replied. "What are big brothers for?"

I could feel my eyes well up with tears, as he pulled away. He spoke loudly so that everyone could hear him. "Sorry Kia, but as captain, I refuse to let you go. If you don't want to be protected at every island, you'll have to learn to protect yourself!"

With that, he walked away towards the bow of the ship. Tears were streaming down my face, and I covered my face with my hands. I could hear the others speaking, but I didn't make out the words. Inside I was wrestling with myself, back and forth… __Could I? No way, I'll get someone killed if I stay! But, if I could get stronger… He said he'd help me! No! It's too dangerous! But you need help!__

My mind made up, I wiped my face, and looked up, determined. "Aye aye, Captain!" I yelled, and the crew turned back to look at me. But I only saw the smug grin on Luffy's face, and I matched it with my own, before I was mobbed by Chopper and Nami.

* * *

I had hoped that everything would just go back to the way it had been, but I knew better. Zoro and Usopp were still the only ones that knew about Blackbeard, and while Usopp was more than happy to welcome me back, Zoro avoided me, and didn't say a word when I tried to speak to him.

I wanted to thank him, but he didn't want to hear it. I knew I had basically insulted all of them, and he wasn't one to simply sit back and accept that. Zoro wasn't a man of words, he was a man of action. The only way I could thank him, or apologize was to prove it. It wasn't something that I could do today, or even tomorrow. I'd have to prove it everyday while I was with the crew- the difference now though… I was determined to do it.

As we headed towards the sea gate, we noticed that the war ships had all dropped anchor, and weren't following us. Nami eventually figured it out, though Luffy ordered us to continue forward, and the Merry quickly ran aground.

I ran downstairs with Usopp, seeing the water pouring into the ship. I grabbed everything I could to use as a patch, but by the time I made it to the hole, Sanji, Chopper and Zoro were there too, and the water was gone.

Hearing Luffy's voice, we peeked outside the ship via the giant hole, and saw him lying on the seabed, trying to swim. Low tide was pretty cool, but I knew we didn't have time to go exploring through the pools. Everyone started going through our options, but we knew there wasn't many.

The ship was spotlit from every angle, and the Commander started speaking to us via the speakers all around. Luffy stood tall in front of the ship, a smile on his face.

Once the commander was done, we all assembled onto the deck, presumably to talk over the commander's offer of surrender, but we all knew differently.

"This may be a way for us to escape!" Usopp crowed, holding up the dial in his hand. "I used this during a fight, and absorbed tons of hits from the soldiers. There's so many inside, I bet we could blast the Merry to safety."

"Ohh!" Chopper said in awe.

"If we could get over that cliff, we'd be out in open water!" Nami said excitedly.

"But out of the frying pan, and into the fire," Sanji added. "With that big hole, we'd sink immediately."

"What if we could re-inflate that octopus balloon?" Robin suggested.

"That's a good idea," Zoro said.

"We do have flame and breath dials," I added. "That would inflate it, I'm sure."

"It would have more hot air than Luffy!" Chopper joked, and we all laughed for a bit, then sighed.

"Too bad we lost it," Usopp muttered.

"I'll say," Nami added.

This time I just listened, as everyone mourned the octopus, and even after Luffy admitted that he had the creature, they simply told each other the news in a sad voice.

I laughed out loud, and the group suddenly realized what they had been saying.

"You do?!" Usopp cried, "Where?"

Luffy reached down the front of his pants, and pulled out the octopus, causing all of us to cringe.

"Why in the world is that thing in your pants?!" Nami demanded.

"He helped us out when we were falling from the sky and I wanted to keep him safe!" Luffy replied.

"Wasn't that… gross?" Zoro asked.

"For him, or the octopus?" Sanji muttered.

"Gross how?" Luffy asked, confused, and I heard Robin giggle.

"Now that he's getting fresh air, we should inflate the octopus again," she said. "Right, Long nose?"

"Uh, yeah," Usopp replied. "But I gotta find my flame dial first."

"Here it is," Luffy said, "I was playing with it in the kitchen, it's spiffy." Usopp quickly ducked as Luffy set it off.

"Watch it! Or I'll give you a taste of this impact dial!" he said, then straightened up. "Speaking of… who's going to set it off?"

He cringed as everyone seemed to look at him with evil eyes. "Who does it belong to?" Luffy asked.

"It's Usopp's" Zoro answered.

"It's only fair we let the owner do it," Sanji said.

"You're the best Usopp," Nami grinned at him.

"Don't worry buddy, we'll give you a hand…" Zoro offered.

"No!" Usopp called out, but everyone ignored him as they got into place.

"I'll do it Usopp," I said to him. I was fairly certain no one would let me, but I wanted to make up for my idiocy.

"No Kia," he replied, puffing out his chest. "When the going gets tough, then Captain Usopp must come to the rescue!" he said bravely as he walked downstairs, the other three guys following him. Nami came over and handed me the flame dial.

"Remember, wait until we get some air in first, or it'll scorch the octopus," she reminded me.

"Got it," I replied.

"All set up here!' Chopper called.

Nami stuck her head down stairs. "We're ready!" she called. "It's all up to you guys now!" We braced ourselves as we heard the guys yelling out their countdown.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"And liftoff!"

With that, the ship took off, pushed by the impact dial, and up into the air. "You guys okay?" I yelled down.

"Robin! Now!" Chopper called. Robin used extra hands across the ship to grab the octopus' legs, stretching it out across the sails, and pulling them around the bottom of the ship to grip. Nami was using a breath dial, and Robin quickly joined her.

"Kia! The flame dial!" Nami called.

"Here goes!" I yelled, turning it on and pointing it toward the octopus. "Inflate!" I called to it.

"We're still falling!" Luffy yelled from the stairway.

The balloon inflated, and kept us right at the water's edge. "One more!" I heard Luffy yell.

"Fly! Please fly!" Nami yelled.

"Three! Two! One!" we could hear from below us, and watched as the balloon suddenly grew three times its size, and the ship began moving with another impact. We cheered as we flew right over the cliff walls of Navarone.

"Bye old fortress guy!" Luffy called, and we all looked back at the base.

"Whoa, that place is huge!" Usopp called.

Robin, Nami and I stood, looking out at the sea before us. "So where do you think we're going?" Nami asked.

"Ask the balloon?" I offered, and Robin giggled.

"I'd say let's just enjoy the ride," Robin offered.

"As long as Nami and Robin are here, I'm in paradise!" Sanji called out, and I just shook my head, no longer sad to not always be included.

"Moron," Zoro muttered.

"What's that?!" Sanji pressed.

"You heard me, bring it on!" Zoro challenged.

"You two fight, I'll start patching that hole," Usopp said wearily.

"Need help?" Chopper offered.

"I'm starving, is it dinnertime?" Luffy asked, and I just grinned.

* * *

Armed with a notebook, I set out to talk to the crew individually. My plan wasn't fully formed, but I had a general idea of what I wanted. And since I knew Zoro was going to be the toughest nut to crack, I started with him.

Seeing him up on the top deck, of course sleeping, but away from everyone else seemed to tell me that there was no backing down. I made my way to him, and sat down in front of him, my notebook in my lap, and my pencil ready.

His eye cracked open, then shut again as he attempted to ignore me. That was fine, I knew he'd be listening even if he didn't want to.

"Thanks Zoro," I said genuinely. "I'd still be in that cell, probably being interrogated about the crew right now if you had listened to me back then. I'd say I'm sorry, but we both know why I acted the way I did."

He didn't move, just continued to snore, but I smiled and continued anyway. "You're a true friend," I said, as the snoring stopped. "Even though you didn't agree with me, you never berated my decisions or called me names, and that means a lot."

His eye finally cracked open, and he sat up. "What do you want Kiana?" he grumbled at me.

"I want to get stronger," I said. "I have what I think will be a good plan, but I know I'll need everyone's help. Including yours."

He eyed me skeptically. "What kind of help?" he asked.

"Training," I replied. "I'll be working out every day, and I could use some help in getting started. I'm not sure whether to build up strength by increasing the weights as I go, or build up endurance by increasing the number of reps." I could see he was intrigued, so I barreled on. "Then there's the aerobic exercise versus the weight training, and weapon training…"

"Hold on," he said holding his hand up. "You're thinking about this too much."

"Well in my defense, there is a lot to think of."

"Right," he said rolling his eyes. "One question only. What's your goal?"

"To be able to fight," I answered. "To protect myself and maybe the others too."

"Maybe?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, I don't want to get ahead of myself…" I answered sheepishly.

"When you see yourself fighting, what do you picture?" he asked. "Punching a marine and knocking him out?"

"No," I said with a chuckle. "Maybe hitting him with a pole or something, but mostly just being able to block their strikes at me, and then kick them away?"

"And what would you need to build to do that?" he asked. "Strength, or endurance?"

I thought for a moment, thinking it was a trick question. "Both, I guess. Though probably more endurance than strength."

"Then that's what your workouts need to be," he said with a smug look on his face.

"Wow Zoro, that was actually really smart!" I exclaimed.

"Hey!" he said angrily. "Don't sound so surprised!"

"I'm not, I promise!" I said contritely. "I guess I just expected to come over here and have you tell me what to do, not teach me how to figure it out myself."

"Same thing," he grumbled.

"Then I'm sorry," I apologized. "I knew you were smart, I just didn't know that you were a great teacher!"

He looked somewhat mollified after that, and helped me with some specific exercises that would help with what I was trying to achieve. After thanking him, I went to find my next crew member.

I walked across the ship, noting that everyone seemed to be in small groups, but when I didn't see Sanji, I headed for the kitchen. Walking in and finding him alone seemed too good to be true, and I thanked whoever was looking out for me.

"Hi Sanji, got a minute to talk?" I asked, and he spun around to see who had come in.

"Oh hey Kia, sure. I'm just putting some dinner together, I'd love some company."

"Great!" I said, " Do you want help?"

"No, no," he replied. "Just sit there at the table. What did you want to talk about?"

"My plans to be able to protect myself," I answered, and he turned around to look at me in surprise.

"Kia my sweet, you know I'll always protect you," he said seriously.

"Of course, Sanji dear," I said putting my hands clasped in front of me and batting my eyelashes exaggeratedly. Stopping my act when he scowled, I added, "but what happens when I'm alone? Like in Skypiea?"

"Hmm," he said, stroking his chin. "I suppose it's not a horrible idea, just in case I can't be there."

"Exactly." I pulled out my notebook and put in on the table in front of me. "I couldn't help but notice that you are amazingly agile," I started. "Not only are you able to dodge attacks, but even when caught off guard, you're able to keep your feet."

"Well, that's nothing my dear," he said, going back to his pan. "Anyone can learn how to do the same."

"That's pretty much what I'm counting on," I answered with a smile. "I was hoping you could give me some exercises that I can work on to help me do the same, you know… eventually. I know it will take time, and loads of practice, but I want to learn."

He turned again, bringing a few dishes full of ingredients over to the table. He sat down across from me, and began assembling what looked like mini tacos.

"First things first," he began. "We'll need to test your skills, see where we're starting from," he said. "I can give you some time after dinner, and then we can come up with some exercises from there."

I looked up from his hands to his face. "Really?" I asked with a grin. "That would mean the world to me!"

"It's my pleasure, of course," he replied. "I'd hate to have you thinking of leaving us again, not if I can help prevent it."

"It won't," I replied sincerely. "Not willingly, anyway."

"Good," he said as he stood up. "We'll get started after I clean up from dinner."

I wondered where he was going, only to see him call everyone to eat. Looking back down at the table, I was shocked at all the food that was ready. __So fast…__ I thought. __Amazing!__

After dinner, I made some more notes while I waited for Sanji. Finding out that his idea of testing my skills was having me dance with him had me skeptical, but after only a few dances, he sat us down and told me exactly what I needed to work on. I was hardly surprised my balance was the top of the list, but I think I took it in stride.

As I headed to the Usopp workshop, I looked over my notes again, feeling a little daunted, but I knew this was the only way. I had tried quitting and it hadn't worked, so that was no longer an option. Squaring my shoulders, I knocked on the doorway where Usopp was working.

"Hey Usopp, got a minute?" I asked.

He turned to me and I giggled. His hair was sticking up in all directions, and with his goggles on, he looked like some sort of mad scientist. I knew immediately what my next sketch was going to be. He patted the floor beside him, and I moved over to discuss my ideas for weapons.

Once done there, I went in search of Chopper. I had decided fairly quickly that I didn't want to be the type of doctor that Chopper was. We didn't need two Choppers after all. But I did want to know what to do in case of an emergency or trauma, so that was what I spoke to Chopper about.

I was worried that he would be sad or upset, but it was exactly the opposite. "I knew your heart wasn't in it Kia, but I didn't know how to say that without hurting your feelings," he explained. "I'm so glad you told me!" he giggled, and I grinned. "Now we can __really__ get to work!" he said happily.

"We weren't working before?" I asked surprised.

"Well yeah, but now we can focus on the most important things!" I listened and took notes as he detailed all that I still needed to learn. The overwhelming feeling returned, but I swallowed it back.

After Chopper wound down, I went back on deck to get some air. It wasn't long before Nami found me, and came over.

"You look a little lost," she said as she stood next to me.

"More like humbled I'd say," I replied as I watched the sunset. "I thought I was doing pretty well before, but now that I'm looking to improve, I see how weak I've really been."

"Oh?" she asked with a laugh. "Kia found out she's human after all?"

"Oh stop it," I grumbled. "I guess I never really thought about it before, but all the fighting on Skypiea really put it into perspective."

"Hmm," she replied. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I've got some ideas," I answered with a smile. "And I've got the boys helping me."

"Just the boys?" she asked with a frown.

"Of course not, I just haven't gotten around to you and Robin yet."

"I see," she replied. "Good." We stood there quietly for awhile, enjoying the sunset. "What are you thinking about?" she asked me suddenly.

I put my hand into my bag and pulled out a piece of paper, showing it to Nami. She cocked her head and studied it, seeing the name written on it.

"That paper Ace gave you?" she asked.

"Yeah… I'm…worried about him." I answered, as I stuffed the paper back in its home.

"Why?" she asked, confused. "He's the toughest pirate I've ever met!"

"Yeah, but he's not invincible."

"Who's not?" Luffy asked as his head came down from up above us.

"I told you not to do that!" Nami yelled as she punched his head, causing Luffy to fall to the deck behind us. I smiled, and turned to help him up.

"Ace," I answered as I helped him stand. "I agree he's tough, but there are a lot of tough guys in the grand line."

"Oh, Ace will be fine!" Luffy said with a grin. "He knows how to take care of himself, he's been fighting pirates since he was a kid!"

"Really?" Nami asked. "Why did he fight pirates when he was a kid?"

"Well, one time he fought pirates to save me, you know back before I got strong," he said nonchalantly. "Yeah" he sighed, "he's a great brother."

Nami grinned, "You think he'll be okay with you taking Kia as a sister?" she asked him, but she glanced over at me.

"Of course!" Luffy said excitedly. "I'm sure he always wanted a sister too!"

"Whoa, whoa…" I interrupted. "I agreed to be your sister, but I won't be Ace's unless __he__ asks me to."

"What?" Luffy said, confused. "Why?"

"Uh… because, that's the way it works. I mean, are you saying all my sisters are your sisters even though you didn't ask them?"

"Hmm…" he thought for a minute. "Sure!"

I face palmed as Nami laughed, and I turned to glare at her. "Uh, yeah Luffy," she agreed with me. "That's how it works, you have to ask each one individually."

"Then I will!" he cheered, and took off towards the kitchen, and Nami burst into laughter.

"I'm sure Ace will be __happy__ to have you join his family!" she said as she leaned on the railing for support.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, you think you're so smart," I grumbled. "It's just a crush anyway, and knowing my luck, when I see him again, Luffy'll say 'hey Ace, Kia's our new sister' and Ace'll say, 'that's great! I always wanted one!'" I said as I leaned on the railing with her.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said with a smile. "Once I figure out how to get you to wear your hair down, you'd be surprised the attention you'll get."

I rolled my eyes at her again. "No thanks," I groused, propping my chin in my hand and staring out at the sky again. __I wonder what Ace is up to?__ I thought.


	48. Chapter 48- Ace's Search for Blackbeard

It's a bit of a shorter chapter, so sorry about that... But! It's about Ace! Enjoy!

* * *

Ace sneezed, and narrowed his eyes, wondering who was talking about him. __Not much I can do about it though,__ he thought, and shrugged it off. It seemed he was always two steps behind Teach, and he was growing tired of it. He turned to look behind him, hearing the shouting, and gaped. The restaurant owner was __still__ chasing him?! He took off on a run, winding through some more streets on his way to the dock.

As he made it to the dock, he stopped in front of some fishermen, and gave them Teach's description asking if they had seen him, or his crew on the island. The men seemed puzzled, as if they wanted to agree, but weren't sure, so he tried picturing Teach, in order to give more detail.

They in turn described a few shady characters that they had seen a few days before, and while close… Ace couldn't be sure they were speaking of the same group. Some details were definitely off, and he had a hard time believing that Teach would go to the trouble of coloring his hair pink, or even wearing a wig. __Everything else seemed the same though!__ he argued with himself.

At that moment, a hand gripped his shoulder, and he turned to see the restaurant owner in front of him, and hopping mad.

"What's the big idea?!" the man demanded. "You ate enough to feed ten men, and then you just run out without paying?!"

"What?" the fishermen asked, staring at him in anger.

"Look gentlemen, I'm very sorry, and believe me, I would have paid… if I had any money that is," Ace tried to reason with them. He smiled his most charming smile, but the men just came forward to grab him. "Aahh!" Ace yelled as they picked him up and carted him over to the river.

"And don't come back!" they yelled as they threw him in.

"Oh crap!" he said before the water swallowed him up.

* * *

"Ace… you just saved my life," Kiana said huskily, gripping his shoulders as she gazed up at him.

"That's just what I do," Ace replied, looking down slightly into her eyes. He wasn't much taller, but he felt she fit better that way. "You know, your eyes remind me of the ocean," he said as he pulled her into his arms and she blushed.

"I didn't realize you noticed them," she said with a smile.

They both turned as they heard Luffy shouting. "Oh! There he is!" Kiana said happily. "My most favorite captain ever!" as she pulled free and went running.

"Whhha-" Ace stopped, trying to speak, but was only able to push air through his lips. "Whhhoo-"

* * *

Ace woke with a start, feeling the pain in his stomach, and coughing up water. Panting, he felt the wood of a dock below him, and looked up to see a young girl looking at him with wide eyes.

"Where… What?" he asked, out of breath, and promptly passed out again.

"Just great…" the girl sighed, and went to get some help to bring him inside the house.

* * *

Ace opened his eyes slowly, not wanting the image of bright blue eyes to leave. But he sighed, and sat up, knowing they were gone. He looked around, noting that he didn't recognize the room he was in, and to make matters worse, had no idea how he got there.

He looked around wildly, seeing nothing but a shirt, which he grabbed and tugged over his shoulders. Why he bothered, he couldn't say, since he didn't button the thing, but it made him feel a little more presentable.

The house was small, but he didn't recognize it either. He was starting to panic, so he rushed outside ready to fight. He stopped short as he saw the small girl feeding some cows. His breathing erratic, he glanced around to see nothing but grass and farm. He could hear the water behind the house, and turned to see a water wheel nearby.

Things started to come back to him now… the dine and dash that went terribly wrong, the hope that he had come the right way to find Teach, and finally being thrown into the river without a chance of survival. He slowly walked over to the girl.

"Um, excuse me," he began and she turned with a smile.

"You're awake!" she said happily.

"Yes," he replied. "I believe… I have you? To thank for that?"

"Yes," she said with a bow. "I'm Moda,"

"Thank you very much Miss Moda, my name is Ace," he replied with a bow of his own. "How in the world did you get me into the house?" he asked. "You're such a little thing."

"My friends helped me," she said, giving one of the cows a pat.

"Moo," it lowed, looking at Ace, who flinched and stepped back.

"Oh... uh, of course," he replied.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked, and he couldn't think of why he wouldn't.

"Sure," he said, and she ran in the house. She came back out a few moments later, carrying a large mug and handed it to him. Taking a sniff, he was surprised to find it was ale, and took a swig.

"So Miss Moda," he said as he wiped his face. "You saved my life," he could see she was holding something, and he hoped it wasn't going to take him too far out of his way. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked. "To repay your kindness?"

She looked up at him with wide blue eyes, and for a moment, he wondered if he was seeing things. She held an envelope up by her face as she spoke.

"My parents, work on a galley vessel for the marines," she said hopefully. "The ship always comes back to the nearby base, G-2."

"And?" he asked.

"If you could deliver this letter to the commander there?" she asked with a smile. "I'm sure they'll send the galley to our island, and I could see my parents again."

Ace didn't have a prayer at refusing her. First of all, she saved his life, secondly, he wasn't doing anything else without getting some intel on Teach, and third… well, her eyes were haunting him a little.

"I'd be more than happy to Miss Moda," he said, and she jumped for joy.

"Thank you so much Ace!" she cried, and he felt like a hero.

She handed him the envelope and he handed her the empty mug. "I've got to find my bag, and my boat, and then I'll be off to deliver it," he said with a smile.

"Oh, your bag is in here," she offered, going back to the house. He followed her to get his things, glad that they were not lost in the water, especially his lucky hat. Before he could leave, she gave him a bundle with some bread and cheese, and his canteen that had been filled with water.

"If we don't see each other again Miss Moda, it was an absolute pleasure to meet you," he said, almost surprised that he meant it.

He walked along the river to the town, finding his boat quickly and hopping aboard. The last thing he needed was the townspeople throwing him in the water again. He took off as soon as his bag was stored, and stuffed the envelope in his pocket.

As he passed the small farm, he saw Moda at the dock waving to him. He held up her envelope in promise and gave a tilt of his hat, then sped off down the river.

* * *

It didn't take him too long to find the Navy base. Since his small boat didn't require him to use the sail unless he wanted to, he was able to make good time. He munched on the bread and cheese Moda had given him, but knew he'd need something more substantial very soon. As he saw the G-2 base in the distance, he smiled, looking around for a good place to infiltrate.

He saw several ships come and go while he waited to find a marine off on his own, and was curious as to what was happening around here. Finally he spotted his chance, and taking out a marine that had wandered away from the others for a smoke, he pummeled the marine and stole his shirt and hat. He even grabbed the bandanna and threw it over his neck.

 _ _And that's as far as I'll go,__ he thought to himself. __I want to fit in, but not that much.__

With that taken care of, he made his way inside as another ship docked.

Following the other marines that were dressed similarly, he found himself in paradise, or something close to it.

 _ _Self service,__ he read on the sign above a table filled with food. He followed the line and made his way to the table. "Is there… um a limit?" he asked an older woman who was refilling one of the bowls.

"You go ahead and eat your fill," she said with a smile.

"Really?" he asked, thinking that maybe marines weren't as bad as he thought. He grabbed two of the trays, filling the first one before he had cleared the first table. Putting it up on his head, and balancing, he hummed a tune as he began filling up the next.

He got several dirty looks, but he couldn't care less. Free food was free food, and Ace was not going to miss out on getting a full stomach. He sat down, and started making his way through the food, wondering how he was going to deliver Moda's letter. Perhaps he could simply slide it under the commander's door?

"If only we could get rid of those warlords, the grand line would be a much safer place," he heard a voice behind him say.

 _ _Yeah right,__ he thought. __Whitebeard and Shanks are the only reason the other two haven't taken over the entire ocean.__

"The other three are bad enough, but Whitebeard has to be the worst."

Ace stopped eating, and slowly turned around. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Whitebeard," the marine continued, unknowing of who he was provoking. "Not only does he terrorize the seas, but he takes on other pirates, and teaches them how to do it too! If he's not stopped soon, we'll never be able to stand up to him, with all the allies he's made!"

"And that's a problem?" Ace asked, standing up.

"A problem?! Hell yeah it's a problem!" the marine replied. "How'd you like to be under Whitebeard's thumb? I guarantee he's crazier than even Gold Roger was!"

Ace's hand shot out, pulling the marine to his feet. "What's the deal man?" the marine asked.

"The deal, is you apologize for saying what you did about Whitebeard, and I won't clock you!" Ace growled in his face.

"What? You're nuts!" the man replied.

"Wrong answer," Ace hissed, and rearing back, punched the man directly in the face, dropping him to the ground as his own hat fell off.

"What?" several marines around him yelled, and the commotion in the room had him almost regretting what he had just done. Almost.

He ran for it, as several marines started yelling his name. Apparently he was pretty well known, and without the hat, only the shirt wasn't enough of a disguise. __Of course defending Whitebeard may have had something to do with that too…__

He ran quickly, taking random turns throughout the base, until he finally chose a door at random and slipped inside.

"What are you doing soldier?" a voice asked, coming into the room. Ace grinned as he picked up the coat rack, and put the man out of commission. Grabbing his suit, he quickly put it on, and finding some makeup in the bathroom, drew on a fake mustache to match the man who was currently on the floor.

Finding a tray full of food, he started enjoying it, then hearing the marines running through the base in search of him, he stood out of view of the door, and ate the remainder of the dinner.

Before long, a marine came to the room and told him he was needed for a meeting. Seeing as he didn't have much choice, he grabbed a hat and followed the soldier to the military court meeting room.

He didn't speak, just grunted and nodded as he was spoken to, not wanting to give away that he was an impostor. He couldn't help gagging as he took a drink of coffee though.

"Horrible stuff isn't it?" the man next to him said, and Ace nodded.

"Why we keep drinking it, I've yet to understand," another added.

"It's fine, as coffee goes, it just needs something to counteract the bitterness, like cream," another stated.

"Sirs!" a marine saluted as he entered the room. "The top secret reconnaissance ship has returned!"

"Thank you soldier, dismissed," the commander of the base said as he stood.

Ace followed the others out, as they started towards the front of the base. He took another drink of coffee before he realized what he had done, and spit it back into the cup before leaving it on a windowsill.

 _ _That is truly vile,__ he thought.

He leaned back on the windowsill, wondering if it be too much to hope that something about Teach's whereabouts would be found in the top secret ship. He wouldn't know however, until he looked.

He grinned as a crafty thought entered into his mind. __What was a pirate to do, after all?__ He didn't waste any time, opening the window and jumping outside. The ship was mostly blocked, but he could see enough to make his plan work. Taking aim he stuck his hand out like a gun, and shot small fireballs toward the rear of the ship.

Jumping back inside, he picked up his coffee, and sat, looking like he was simply enjoying his beverage until he heard the alarms going off. He threw the drink down and ran with the other marines to the docks, looking up at the ship that was fully ablaze. He gave a small smile, ready to jump in when he heard a marine nearby mention a man that hadn't gotten free.

 _ _That will make this a little more difficult,__ he thought, and taking a running start, jumped into the inferno. He could hear the yells behind him, but he focused only on what was ahead. Moving as fast as he could, he found what he needed, put it in his pocket, and called out for the survivor.

He heard the coughing in the next room, and breaking down the door, he pulled the man over his shoulder, shrugged and grabbed a nearby briefcase as well. Running across the deck, he jumped nimbly back over to the docks. The men around him looked at him in shock, and several men were screaming as though they had seen a ghost.

"You… you saved him!" the commander gaped, and Ace smirked.

"No problem," he said, and the men around him gasped.

"Hey, you're not Captain Torgun!" a man called.

"Only one man could survive that fire!" another called.

"Eep!" Ace gulped, then dropping the man and the briefcase, he started running for it as gun fire rang out.

"Whoa! Almost forgot!" he said as he made a quick U-turn. Getting back to the commander was a problem, but he finally decided to just jump over the men in front of him. He wasn't quite sure how he managed to land on the commander's head… but sometimes he had to just roll with whatever happened.

Grabbing the envelope from his pocket he handed it down to the commander, who was still holding the survivor from the burning ship. "I'm very sorry about the commotion," Ace said, "I simply had a message to deliver in repayment of a debt."

The commander was shocked, but he grabbed the envelope anyway, and Ace made his escape. Sure the marines hit him, several times in fact, but with his flame-flame power, he didn't feel a thing. Once back aboard his boat, he took off quickly, mourning that he hadn't had a chance to grab more food before he left, but glad that he could finally be free of the awful uniform.

He sat back, enjoying the freedom of the ocean for awhile before finally pulling out the paper that he had found about Teach. "Thank you again Miss Moda," he said aloud. "You'll never know how you helped me." He wished her luck in seeing her parents again, guessing that the commander would want the milk and cream for his coffee that her little farm offered.


	49. Chapter 49- Training

So you may notice that I've changed into the 3rd person POV, because as I was writing I kept doing it, and had to go back and fix things. I decided to just keep it 3rd person from this point on and go back and fix the beginning chapters when I can get to them. I feel like it's easier to follow and flows better, and thought I'd better let you all know. :) Enjoy!

* * *

Sabo faced his comrade, deciding to go left. He kept his speed slow, giving her ample time to dodge. His hand struck hers, and he heard her intake of breath.

"Ow!" she cried. "Sabo, you suck!" He laughed, as she shook out her hand.

"I suck?" he asked, confused at her words. "What?"

Dru face-palmed. "Never mind," she replied. "It's another way of saying you're rotten," she explained, snickering a little at the easy insult that came to mind.

"Whatever you say," Sabo replied as he looked at her. "But you're the one who asked for this. Ready to go again?" he asked.

Dru took a deep breath, nodded and closed her hazel eyes. Sabo had been enjoying these moments lately, where he could simply observe her. She was still a mystery to him, from the way she acted, to the things she said. But in moments like these, he felt they were finally coming to understand one another. He had had a difficult time unlocking his observation haki as well, and understood the frustration she was feeling.

He didn't wait too long before he struck again, and this time Dru simply shook out her hand before replacing it on her knee to go again. He smiled at her determination and struck out again.

* * *

"The point of armament haki is to protect," Sabo explained later as they took a break. "But in some cases, it can also be the only way to attack."

"What do you mean?" Dru asked, confused.

"Devil fruits," Koala interrupted as she walked in the room to join them. "Especially the logia types. How would you damage someone made of wind? Or fire? Or ice?" she explained.

"I… I don't know," Dru said in confusion. "I guess I don't really understand the devil fruits that well."

"And that's why you're partnered with Sabo," Koala said with a smile. "He tends to run into all the weirdos."

"Nice Koala," he said sarcastically. "What's up?" Dru smiled at the use of her lingo. She was rubbing off on both of them.

"Dragon rescheduled the meeting for this evening," she said, and he nodded, and turned back to Dru.

"Hopefully we'll find a chance for you to see a logia type in action," he said. "But for now, we'll focus on protection." Dru gasped as his forearm turned black as pitch.

"What the heck is that?" she asked, simultaneously intrigued and worried.

"That," Sabo said as he handed her a short blade, "is my haki. Now, hit me."

"What?" she recoiled.

"Dru, trust me in this. Hit me with the sword, here on my arm." He pointed to a spot in the middle of the blackened part.

"If you're sure…" she said, and he nodded. She swung the sword down, though he could tell she was holding back. As soon as it hit, his eyes went wide.

"AAAHH! You cut me!" he screamed, and she dropped the sword in shock.

"Oh crap, oh crap!" she bent to him trying to pry his hand off his arm so she could see how serious it was. "I'm sorry!" she cried, "You told me to!"

"I didn't tell you to cut me!" he yelled back, rolling around on the ground.

"Oh hell, I'm sorry!" she cried out, feeling horrible. That was when Sabo stopped, and sat up with a smile. She looked from him, to his arm, seeing nothing, not even a scratch. "You… you…"

"Easy Dru, it was only a joke," he laughed, but his eyes grew wide as this time she jumped on him.

"You idiot!" she shouted. "I'll kill you for scaring me like that!" She continued to pummel him, infuriated as he laughed. She finally brought her knee up where she knew it would really hurt, and was pleased to hear his laughter stop suddenly as he wheezed.

"And now you know what you'll get if you ever try that again," Dru said as she picked herself up and strode away.

Sabo stayed down, feeling like he might throw up… and he was really light headed. He opened his eyes and saw Koala standing over him. "Ooh," she tsked at him. "Looks painful, I mean, I guess?" she said with a laugh. "Come on, I'll help you up."

"No, I think I lie here another minute," he groaned. "Or twelve."

She laughed as she sat down next to him. "That Dru, she's really come far, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," Sabo wheezed. "She's just great," he said and Koala roared with laughter.

* * *

Dru headed out of the mess hall, glad that she had been able to coax some food out of the chefs. Of course the fact that everyone loved Sabo made the whole thing easier. In fact, once she had explained that she wanted to apologize and get him a treat, the chefs had all brought something to add to the plate. Now she had a heaping plateful of food to get her back on even ground with Sabo.

She didn't feel too bad about it, after all he did deserve it for that awful prank. But, she knew her temper led her to taking things a little further than she should have. After all, she had hurt him, and he hadn't hurt her.

Dru made her way to Sabo's office, and knocked on the door. Hearing him call out to enter, she opened it and walked in, with the plate behind her back.

"Hello Sabo," she said with a smile.

"Dru," he replied with a grin. "I'm was worried you were still mad at me."

"Me?" she asked. "Why would I be mad? You're the one who should be mad at me."

"For what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Uh, I know I gave you a cheap shot," she admitted. "And I wanted to apologize for it," she said as she brought the plate around and placed it before him.

"I deserved it," he said. "I thought it would be funny, but I realized that I really worried you." She smiled as he couldn't seem to look away from the food. From what she had seen to this point, Sabo was a bottomless pit, and he was looking at the food as if he hadn't eaten in days instead of hours.

"Well…" she said thoughtfully. "I guess I'll accept your apology, if you accept mine. Otherwise I might have to take this back to the chefs."

He looked up, startled at the thought, but quickly grinned. "There's no need for that surely," he said. He stood up and pulled over a chair for her to sit in on the other side of the desk. "We should enjoy this together, and get back to work. What do you say?"

"All right," she answered with a smile. "But I get the cake," she said, even as she reached over to grab the slice that was on a small plate.

She wasn't surprised at all that Sabo finished everything else by the time she had eaten her treat. __Bottomless pit indeed,__ she thought. "What are we going to work on today?" she asked.

"Haki," he replied as he wiped his face with a napkin, then stood and grabbed his hat. "I'll let you choose which one."

"Armament it is then," she said. "Maybe this time, I'll be the one to prank you." She gave him a wink and a smile.

He held the door for her, and closed it after they had both walked through. "I'll remember that you like cake, in case I need another apology," he replied with a grin, as they walked toward the training area. "I probably will at some point."

* * *

Dru thought about it, but didn't prank Sabo. She was too focused on learning about Haki, and remembering her sister's letter she knew the sooner, the better. It took several weeks of practice before she was able to see a part of her skin blacken, and once that happened her determination skyrocketed.

Sabo had left on another mission and had been gone for a week. Dru was determined that she be able to use armament haki before he returned. She spent all her time on it, even to the point of dreaming about using haki, but it felt as if she plateaued. No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to improve further.

"That's enough for today Dru."

Dru looked up at her friend as she panted. "Come on Hack, I'm so close, I can feel it!"

Hack didn't agree or disagree, he simply watched her until she asked, "What?"

"You know as well as I that getting the proper rest in between training is essential," he said, looking at her pointedly, and she deflated.

"I know Hack, I just can't help but feel I'm on the verge of getting it," she replied. "I've got some sort of mental block or something."

"All the more reason to take a break, and come back to it another time," he reasoned. "Come, I'll walk you back."

She smiled ruefully, as he must have decided she would have stayed to continue if he didn't walk with her. Which of course, she would have.

"Hack, Miss Dru," a voice spoke in greeting and both turned towards it. Dru was surprised to see Dragon in the training area, especially since he didn't have his usual group following him. __The man was so busy that he needed several assistants just to keep his schedule straight,__ Dru thought.

"Leader," Hack greeted with a small bow, and Dru did the same.

"It's a bit late for training isn't it?" he asked, even as he took his cloak off, looking as if he were preparing to get a workout in himself.

"Dru here is getting quite close to having her armament," Hack replied. Dragon raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her.

"Indeed?" He asked. "You must be very motivated to have come some far so quickly."

"Thank you sir," she replied. "But I'm afraid I've been stuck at "quite close" for too long now to feel the accomplishment."

"Oh?" he asked. Giving her a smirk, he offered, "Show me." She glanced over at Hack, who gave another small bow, and headed out of the area. It seemed she'd be able to keep working after all.

She moved forward, putting her arms up, and focusing on her haki. Dragon walked forward as well, putting out his own hand and flicking the small dark spot on her arm.

"Ow!" Dru hissed. "What was that?" she asked as she rubbed the spot trying to get rid of the pain, wondering how a small flick could have hurt as badly as it had.

"That was my haki against yours," he answered. "You lost."

She gave such a disgusted look, that he chuckled.

"Hold out your hand," he said, holding his own up in a stop gesture to show her what he meant. She held her hand up, mirroring his. "Now," he began. "What are you focusing on?" he asked.

"My haki?" she asked, wondering if that was right.

"Yes," he agreed as he nodded, "but for what purpose?" he asked.

"Um…" she thought, though she was at somewhat of a loss. "To use it, train it to become… stronger?" she answered.

"Ah," he said looking at her hand and rubbing his chin as he thought. "I think I see the problem." He bent down, pulling a small dagger from his boot. "Miss Dru, if you do not use your armament haki, I'm going to stab your hand," he said as he grabbed her hand, holding it in place.

"What?!" she said, trying to pull away.

"Protect yourself," he said, as the knife came closer. "Focus on what you need."

He was moving the knife very slowly, giving her time to focus on her haki, but she knew that if she failed, she would be cut. If nothing else, Dragon __always__ did what he said he would. She knew this was no prank. She focused on protecting her hand from the blade.

She watched as the knife came in to her hand, and her eyes widened as she didn't feel the cut. Dragon poked the blade into her palm several times, then with a smile turned her hand so her palm was facing up and she could see that her entire palm was black.

"How…?" she said quietly to herself, trying to understand.

"When you answer that, you'll be able to progress further," Dragon answered. He bent and put the knife back in his boot. "Good night Miss Dru," he said with a nod and moved over to begin his workout. Dru understood that she had been dismissed, and turned.

"Good night sir," she replied, and began walking back to her room, puzzling over not only what had happened, but his words.

* * *

After going over the situation again and again, day after day, Dru finally felt that she had an idea as to why her haki had worked that night. She started working with a needle, poking her own hand when she was unable to get her haki in place. While she felt she was getting better, and focusing more quickly, she also felt that she was missing something.

 _ _Obviously the fear of knowing Dragon would cut me was a factor,__ she thought. __But that couldn't be all there was to it. After all, both he and Sabo were able to bring the haki to their skin even when not in danger.__

Dru put her needle aside, and picking up her pencil began writing her thoughts down, and then adding to it a list of questions or impressions that came to mind. While she didn't yet have an answer, she decided to come back to her writings after practicing in the hopes that it would trigger a new thought.

After another week, her writings took a different turn as she began to experiment with different objectives as she practiced her haki with both Hack and Koala. She would come up with an idea or plan and write it down, then return afterwards to catalog the impact of the experiment. She found that while she was finding some ways to help improve the amount of her skin that her haki could cover… it was still not getting stronger.

While it was easy to become frustrated, Dru found that she couldn't give up either. She had always loved a challenge, and was not a quitter. Knowing that Sabo could return any day, added pressure to the goal she had made for herself.

One night, as she read through her notes, she had an idea that perhaps what she needed for her haki was to find a specific focus in order to give it strength. When Dragon had helped her that night so many days ago, she had been given little choice, and a specific directive- protect.

 _ _Perhaps I don't need to have something directly attacking me in order to utilize that strength again, but simply use it as a focus?__ she thought. She made a quick note on her paper, excited to try the next day. She crawled into bed, her thoughts changing as they did every night to her sisters. Though she now knew they were safe, relatively, and were with people that would help them, she couldn't help but worry… and wish they were __together. What if something were to happen… and I wasn't there to stop it?__ she thought as she drifted off. _Or worse... I couldn't..._

* * *

Dru tried to shake off the bad dream, but found that it lingered in her mind. She couldn't even remember what had happened, just knew that people were in trouble, calling for her, and she couldn't save them.

As she completed her daily tasks, and the duties assigned to her that morning, she thought about what she had written down the night before. She had the thought that it was probably the reason behind her bad dream, but used it as fuel to focus her mind on what she needed from her haki. She __needed__ her haki to improve, or she would find herself in trouble in the future. Kia's letter had practically implied as such.

She headed back towards the barracks, lost in thought as she made her way to her room. She wouldn't meet Koala for another hour, so she would use the time to practice with her needle. __Or…__ she thought. __I could go to the training yard and get my workout completed.__

Deciding that was the best way to rid herself of the vestiges of her dream, she turned around and went back the way she had come, veering off past the senior officer's offices and taking a shortcut through the infirmary halls.

She was almost to her destination when she heard her name. She turned, coming out of her thoughts to find Dragon and Sabo in front of her.

"Oh, uh, hello!" She said quickly, though inside she was disappointed to see Sabo had returned before she had met her goal. "Sirs," she added after, not wanting to show disrespect.

Sabo's eyebrow winged up at her formality, but he said nothing. "Miss Dru, it seemed that you were lost in thought, since you neither heard, nor saw us as you passed by," Dragon said with a small smirk, and Dru flushed slightly.

"I'm sorry sir, I was heading to the training yard, and was determining my plan of attack."

Now Dragon's eyebrow rose, and he asked, "Still working on your haki?"

Dru nodded, "yes sir."

"It seems I have a few minutes, as Sabo's report was… shorter, than expected."

Now it was Sabo's turn to smirk, as the two men starting walking, and leading Dru towards the training yard. She made a mental note to ask him about the mission the next time they talked. Reaching the area, Dragon removed his cloak as he had the first time, and Dru was surprised that he seemed to be readying himself for a spar.

She hadn't known what to expect- but had been thinking he would simply ask her to show her haki- certainly not this. She quickly removed her sweater, and prepared herself, focusing all her thoughts. __Protect…__ she thought over and over. __Protect! Protect them!__

It was almost in sync with her thoughts as Dragon pulled a larger blade from his side and said, "Protect yourself, Miss Dru."

"Leader, what-?" Sabo said worriedly, looking at the scene in new understanding. He didn't have a chance to say anything further, as Dragon stepped forward and swung out with his sword.

He was still not moving at his top speed, even Dru could see that as she reviewed the moment later. All she could think of in that moment, were the three sisters that she would do anything to protect, and she stepped forward with her arms crossed, catching the blade where her arms met.

At first she assumed her adrenaline was so high that she simply didn't feel the pain. But as she heard the surprised yell from Sabo, she looked up at her arms to find the black pieces right where the sword had landed.

"Good work, Miss Dru," Dragon said with a nod before re-sheathing his blade. "Though you will need to continue to work hard to get where you need to be."

Dru nodded, and gave Dragon a nod as well. "Thank you sir," she replied, and he turned and walked away.

Sabo waited a few moments until Dragon was out of earshot. "Dru, that was great!" he said excitedly, coming forward to pull her arm up and look at where the blade had hit. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be this far along!" His face became serious as he added, "Dragon is right though, there is much more work to do before you'll be ready to use it in an actual fight."

"That's for sure," she said as she rubbed her arms. "He was holding back… __a lot.__ "

"Hey, this was a victory, you should be proud of yourself," he said giving her shoulder a soft punch. "I know I'm proud of you. You obviously worked very hard while I was gone."

"I'll tell you all about it, and then I want to hear about your mission," she replied. "But I can't do that on an empty stomach."

"Now you're talking," he said with a grin, and threw her her sweater before dragging her off towards the mess hall.

* * *

"Here you go Kia my dear," Sanji said as he handed Kia the platter of snacks. It wasn't very large, but was piled high, and therefore very heavy. She took it from him gingerly, and made her way towards the door.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Sanji called, stopping her in her tracks. "One hand only!" he said as he pointed his large spoon at her. She sighed, but did as he said, knowing that he was using this as a way of training her on her balance.

She placed her right hand underneath the tray, spreading her fingers wide in an attempt at controlling the wobbling. She stood there a moment with the tray nearly cradled against her before narrowing her eyes and slowly moving it away from her body. She put her left hand behind her back as Sanji had taught her, and steeled herself for the journey down the stairs.

It wasn't saying much that Sanji trusted her with the boy's snacks. After all, he didn't really care if they actually got the snacks or not. He put his foot down when she offered to take Nami and Robin's, saying that it was the best part of his day. She didn't offer again, knowing that he had a hard time refusing her- or any female- anything.

However, he also knew what she needed in order to accomplish the goals she had made, and carrying a heavy tray, with one hand behind her back, down the stairs to the boys was a task that suited those needs. So no matter how many times she dropped the tray or fell down the stairs… she would continue until she got it right.

While Luffy didn't have a problem with picking the food up from the ground, Usopp did, and it seemed he was prepared today with a tray to catch any falling food. He, Luffy and Chopper were standing next to the staircase, watching as Kia made her way carefully down each stair. It said a lot for them and how much they cared about supporting her that they didn't yell or complain that she was taking too long.

She made it past the fourth stair, which had been her nemesis the day before, and she smiled as she continued. However, she smiled too soon as her foot caught on her own leg, and she twisted directly into the railing. She noticed that the boys didn't seem to mind their impromptu food shower, but she gave a large sigh and sat down on the stairs.

"Hey, you did better today!" Usopp said, trying to cheer her up.

"And you'll do even better tomorrow!" Chopper called out encouragingly.

"Thanks you guys," Kia said with a small smile. "Make sure you give some to Zoro," she said as she stood and made her way back to the kitchen with the tray.

"And? How did we do?" Sanji asked once she appeared.

"Fifth step this time," Kia replied as she put the tray back on the counter for him.

"Don't get discouraged Kia, you'll get there," he said gently, and she smiled.

"I know Sanji, I'll get even further tomorrow!" she declared with a grin.

"That's my girl," he replied, and he turned to prepare the tray for Nami and Robin's snack.

Kia left with a slight skip to her step, heading back down the stairs, slightly annoyed that she didn't have a problem __that__ time…

"Hey Kia!" Chopper said as she went over to him. "You're not upset, are you?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I used to not be able to do plenty of things that I can now. It just takes practice, and soon I'll deliver the snacks just like Sanji can."

"Like what?" Luffy asked from behind her.

"Huh?" she asked.

"What can you do now that you practiced?" he asked.

"Well… um…" she muttered as she did some quick thinking. She hadn't actually been thinking of a specific example. "Like… cartwheels?" she said.

"What's a cartwheel?" Chopper asked.

"Well… it's where you make a circle… uh… maybe I'll just show you?" she asked, then stepped away and performed a cartwheel.

"Wow, that's neat!" Chopper said as he clapped.

"It looks fun!" Luffy said as he tried to imitate her, and ended up falling over onto his back.

"It is, but not easy to get on the first try," Kia replied as she held out her hand to help him up. "When we were younger, Ash came home from her gymnastics class able to do a cartwheel. I wanted to do it too, but found that it took more than just wanting to, it took practice."

"And now you can!" Chopper said with a smile.

"Exactly," Kia said. "And it will be the same with learning to balance like Sanji, or shoot like Usopp, or be strong like Luffy, or treat patients like Chopper," she added making each of them smile.

"Are you ready to play dodge yet?" Luffy asked suddenly, and Kia grinned again. She had come to him with the game to play, which was basically him trying to tag her, and her trying to dodge him. Fun for him, and training for her where they both enjoyed it.

"Absolutely!" she said, and Usopp and Chopper moved away toward the railing. Sometimes Luffy's stretchable limbs got a little out of control after all.

"Kia!"

She turned towards the voice to see Robin looking down at them from the railing outside of the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hands.

"What is it?" she asked.

"That cartwheel," Robin replied. "would be good to incorporate in your defense," she said with a small smile. Knowing Luffy didn't catch what Robin was suggesting, Kia grinned.

"Thanks Robin!" she called, and turning back to Luffy, she readied herself.

"Treats at every ten points?" Luffy said as he flexed and stretched his hands, the knuckles cracking.

"No treats today," Kia responded as she always did, stating her goal. Luffy just smiled.

"Ready, go!" Usopp called, and Luffy's leg whipped out.

Kia took Robin's advice, doing a cartwheel over the leg instead of jumping. She smiled, seeing how much easier it had been. She grinned at Luffy as she ran around him in a zigzag pattern. __This could be the day…__ she thought. __I might just win!__


	50. Chapter 50- A Race!

Kia rubbed her eyes as she stood up. "You're doing great Kia!" Chopper said excitedly. "You've come leaps and bounds ahead in such a short time!"

She smiled at him. "Must be my amazing teacher," she said, only to grin as he started doing his happy dance.

"It's not like that makes me happy, you jerk…" he said with a giggle.

"Of course not…" she replied. She reached for her bag, and handed it down to him. "Can you check my bag for me?" she asked. "I want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything."

He took a few moments, looking through the first aid contents of her bag. "Actually I think you would be all right without a few of these," he replied, pulling out a few of the medicines she had packed. "I carry these, and they aren't necessary for trauma care, so you won't use them."

"Okay," she responded. "I just worry about having what I might need."

"That's always a worry, but the best thing to do is prepare for the most likely scenarios. We can always make what we need as we need it for the unexpected," he told her as he handed her bag back. "Hey, what's that?" he asked, noticing the white mark on the front of her bag.

"This?" she said, pointing to the X she had Usopp paint on her bag to match Chopper's. "Just making sure the crew knows what this bag is, just like they do yours."

"Get out of here," he said waving his arms across his body. She giggled, as she never could get enough of his happy dance.

Kia stepped outside, and looked around the deck. She had been with Chopper longer than she normally was, and barely had time to change before she should be working out with Zoro. She ran downstairs, changing into her workout outfit, which was basically her most comfortable pair of pants and a baggy t-shirt. She left her bag, and made her way back topside where she met Zoro who was sleeping.

She went over to his storage box, pulling out the small rings of metal that Usopp had made for her from his scrap pieces, and put them on her wrists. Then she began her breathing exercises. The metal didn't weigh more than a pound or two, but they were great as resistance during her workouts.

As she finished her stretching, she noticed that Zoro was on his feet, and lifting his weights from the storage box, so she made her way over to grab her own. He purposefully had her weights under his own, telling her that she could lift weights on her own once she was able to get them without his help. Seeing the way his weights grew each time she saw them, she determined she would be lifting weights with him for forever.

 _ _Not that that was a hardship either…__ she thought. __The man had muscles for days that bulged as he worked out.__

She looked up as his arm stopped moving to see him glaring at her. She smiled sheepishly at being caught ogling him again, and quickly started her own reps.

* * *

 _ _I have got to stop this,__ Kia thought as she flopped onto her mattress. Her arms were aching, her legs were shaking, and her abs were burning. __The man can be seriously sadistic when it comes to workouts, especially when he catches you staring…__

Kia grinned to herself. __Worth it though…__ She let loose a giggle even as she felt the ship change course sharply. Sitting up, she listened for a moment. Hearing a shout, she decided she had better go up and see what the problem was.

The sounds of cannonballs streaking through the air and splashing near the ship is what greeted her as she went up the stairs to the deck.

Nami was shouting orders, and the boys were running around to obey them. Robin was staring out at the ship that was following them, trying to glean some information as to where the next attack would come from, and Luffy kept close in case he needed to use his gum-gum balloon in order to protect the ship.

The ship was rocking, and the rain started lightly as Kia made her way to Nami. She stayed quiet, seeing that Nami noticed her, and waited for a direction.

"Nami my love! What can I do?" Sanji called from the rudder controls.

"Keep on course!" she shouted back. She continued to look at the sky. "This storm…" she said under her breath, "we'll be able to lose those marines in this…"

"It's going to get worse?" Kia asked, and Nami turned, finally looking away from the sky.

"Much worse," she replied, then gave Kia a wink and smile. "But that's good for us!"

As the storm worsened, just as Nami said it would, Kia was left with nothing to do but wait. The navy ships kept up their attacks, but as the waves became choppier, the sky blackened and the rain increased; the Going Merry was able to increase the distance between them until the pursuing ships could no longer be seen.

Kia spent her time practicing keeping her feet throughout the rocking of the vessel, and was proud that even though she stumbled a few times, she was able to stay upright. She knew her sea-legs were better than a novice sailor, but she hadn't willingly been through many storms such as this, so it was still a somewhat new experience.

Night had fallen by the time they made it out of the storm, but luckily, they saw lights in the distance from a nearby island. As the ship came closer, Luffy became increasingly more excited as the huge mountain behind the town came into view.

"Look at that Kia! I feel adventure, don't you?"

"I do," she replied, combing through her mental files. The mountain seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. The moonlit night shined off the many water canals that ran down the mountain making her think of reverse mountain, but she knew that wasn't it. She worried that this was something unexpected.

* * *

Luffy followed his nose around the town while the others followed behind him. Finally entering a tavern that actually smelled decent, Kia stopped at the threshold smiling at a wanted poster on the wall. She pointed it out to Zoro, who just smirked and followed their captain inside.

Nami also looked at the poster of Luffy, shaking her head at his lack of self preservation. But, knowing her crew, she also blocked the poster as Usopp and Chopper walked past her. Kia gave her a smile, and chuckling, they followed their friends.

Sitting down at a large round table, the crew waited for Nami to order the food, knowing that she was the one with the money to pay. Sighing in resignation, she handed over a small pile of beri, and asked for as much food in a variety as that would cover. Luffy of course, ate the majority, but the tavern offered simple, tasty food for very low prices, and they were able to get enough that even Luffy said he was full. Of course, when Sanji asked the girls if they wanted dessert, Luffy insisted he had room for more.

"No!" Nami told him, and he gave her a hurt look.

"But Nami-" he started, and she interrupted him.

"No buts Luffy," she said. "If I didn't stop you, you'd eat until we had nothing left!"

"Here you go Robin," Sanji said as he placed a cup of coffee in front of her. Sitting back down between her and Nami, Sanji asked, "Are we really in such dire straits Nami dear?"

"We don't have much cash left," she said, and this time, Luffy interjected.

"We just got tons from Sky-!" His voice stopped suddenly as Usopp covered his mouth.

"Don't shout that out, idiot!" Usopp hissed at him. "We don't want people to know!"

"Besides, that's not ours," Kia added. "That's for Merry first."

"Exactly," Nami agreed with a nod. "We can't count it as ours until after the repairs are made. Since we don't know how much that will take, we can't count it. Once we restock our supplies… we'll basically be broke."

"Oh," Luffy said dejectedly, before looking around at the crew. "Listen you guys, as captain, I've got to say… you spend way too much money!"

Kia leaned away, as the three other guys all hit Luffy and he face-planted on the table. "It's mostly for your food!" they shouted at him.

"It __is__ a problem," Sanji said as he sat back down and puffed on his cigarette.

Kia marveled once again that the smell coming from the little stick didn't make her sick. __It was almost as if there were nothing but spices in them by the way they smelled, and who knew, maybe that's really all there was,__ she thought.

"We need a way to make some quick cash," Nami said. "Is there anything we can do here?" she asked Sanji.

"There are no casinos, no," he replied. "We'll have to hope we get lucky on the next island." He looked at Nami to see she was glancing toward the bartender. "What is it?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she replied. Kia leaned back, subtly watching the bartender. __If Nami was paying attention to him… something was definitely up.__

She watched as a man came in and ordered a drink, spoke to the barkeeper, and then followed him around the corner. She looked over at Nami and their eyes met, and Kia gave a smirk.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked.

"I'm not sure… yet," Nami answered.

"The man who just came in was probably a pirate," Zoro said. "Something suspicious happened between him and the owner, right?" he asked, almost as if he were bored.

Kia looked over as Usopp and Luffy started arguing, and Chopper, not wanting to be left out, joined in. She turned back to focus on the conversation.

"Zoro, you were listening?" Nami asked, almost impressed.

"Nah," he replied. "Just caught a glimpse," he said giving a large smirk. "What do you think it is?"

Kia almost laughed as Usopp threw a bone from dinner at Luffy, who dodged. The bone hit Zoro right on the forehead, and he didn't even react.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked innocently. Another bone flew over and hit Zoro again.

"You smell something," he replied. "Money." Now Luffy and Usopp were purposefully throwing them at Zoro to see how long he would ignore them. Chopper was yelling that he wanted a turn, and all three of them began fighting.

"Money?" Nami said. "You think that's all I care about?" she asked.

"Don't you?" he retorted.

"Watch what you say to her…" Sanji threatened.

"Yeah!" Nami said with a grin. "Money and tangerines that is!" Sanji stopped glaring at Zoro and just shrugged at her response. "Of course I saw what happened. How about you Kia?" she asked.

"I saw it," Kia replied, and Zoro gave her an approving look.

"Hey, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper!" Nami called over their ruckus, and they turned to look at her mid-fight. "I smell adventure!" she said as she stood and walked over to the bar.

"Adventure!" Luffy called, and the boys began wondering what adventure they would find on the island.

For herself, Kia sat quietly wondering why she was at such a loss in remembering what was coming. It was like a sense of deja vu, knowing she had seen this… but not able to remember the specifics.

Zoro stood not a minute later, and began putting on his swords. Sanji followed, helping Robin to her feet and what not. Zoro tapped Kia to get her attention, and motioned toward the bar, walking over and hitting Luffy on the head on the way. Kia was the last to arrive and heard Nami's ending statement.

"So please, won't you help us? Tell us where we can find some money."

The bartender looked at the crew, and sighed. "There's no cure for fools and pirates." He stood up straight.

"Whoa… he called Zoro a fool," Luffy said.

"What? Why me?" Zoro asked, turning to Luffy.

"Well I'm the pirate," Luffy answered, as if that made perfect sense.

"Follow me," the man said, and the crew followed him to a locked door. He opened it, and gestured them inside where it was pitch black. After closing the door, he lit a lantern and handed it to Zoro.

"Keep going to the end," the man told them.

"You better not be lying about the money," Nami frowned.

"I'm not lying," he replied.

"This looks like a trap!" Usopp said warily.

"Let's go!" Luffy said, grabbing Kia's hand. "I smell adventure!"

"No!" Usopp wailed. "I have don't-go-into-the-tunnel syndrome…"

"Give it up Usopp," Zoro muttered. "The captain has already decided."

Sanji put an arm around Usopp's shoulders dragging him along as the crew began following after Zoro.

"Is there really adventure down there?" Chopper asked.

"It would seem so," Robin answered.

Kia let go of Luffy's hand as the man asked him why he became a pirate. She walked slowly, listening to him explain about the fun he could have. The man seemed bewildered, but finally gave a chuckle. "Stay safe," he said, and he went back through the door to the bar.

Luffy caught up quickly, excited for the adventure he was going to have. "Let's go get some money, so I can eat!" he told Kia.

"Is that __all__ you think about?!" Usopp demanded.

The tunnel was long, and it was slow going with only the one light. Suddenly Zoro yelped, and they all looked around him to see a large man wearing a mask. Then Zoro yelled again, falling over and blowing on his hands. Kia looked up to see Sanji with his leg out, having caught the lantern that had been thrown in the air with his shin.

"Impressive Sanji," she said.

"Thank you Kia my sweet," he cooed.

"I've got this," Nami said, ducking under Sanji's leg. "Move it, Zoro…" she muttered as she stepped over him. He glared at her while he continued blowing on his burnt fingers, where he had accidentally grabbed the lantern's heated glass.

Nami held up two small silver coins, and the man in the mask stepped back and opened another door, gesturing the crew through. They looked around in awe, squinting at the brightness of the room compared to the darkness of the tunnel.

There were people everywhere, talking, laughing, drinking… Luffy, Usopp and Chopper ran forward to a railing, the others following behind them. Looking over, they saw many floors filled with people who were all having fun. Kia glanced around, noting the many different pirate flags hanging around on the walls, and looking up, saw a large ship hanging from the ceiling.

"Ow… that was hot," Zoro muttered as he came up to the rest of them.

"Hey girlie!" a voice called, and they all turned to it. "Did you come here to place a bet?" a man in a bandanna asked. He was playing cards with a table full of men. "The bookie's upstairs."

"Bookie?" Nami asked.

"Whoa," the man next to him chimed in. "You're not going to actually enter the race… are you?" He smiled and chuckled a bit. "Don't make me laugh! You all would never live through it!"

"Ah! Now I remember!" Robin said suddenly. "It's been such a long time since I was here before."

The crew turned to her as she explained. "I was here once before with the captain of a pirate ship I was on. Once every few years, there is a race. It's by pirates, for pirates. A dead end, anything goes race."

"By pirates?" Sanji asked.

"Well, ex-pirates to be exact," she answered. "This town is full of ex-pirates, which is why we haven't had any trouble. Every time the goal of the race is different, but it always starts here in this town, with an eternal pose to point you to the finish. You can do anything to get there, anything to win, and the first ones there get all the prize money."

"Seems easy enough to understand," Zoro said.

"Yeah, like what will happen next…" Sanji added.

"Sounds wild…" Nami said, looking nervous. "But I'm sure Luffy will want to enter."

Nami changed her own tune as soon as Robin asked how much the prize was, and she decided they were definitely entering the race. Sanji accompanied her upstairs to the bookie, to officially enter. Zoro and Robin found a table to sit at, and Luffy asked about food.

"Kia! Kia!" Luffy called to her at the railing. "Come on, the food's free!" he yelled grabbing her hand to pull her along.

"I guess we'll meet up later!" Kia shouted to Robin, who gave a little wave and smile. She then started jogging so that Luffy didn't have to drag her, and they went looking downstairs for the food, Usopp and Chopper behind them, and Zoro trailing behind, deciding to follow for when Luffy found trouble- as he always did.

* * *

"Chopper, I didn't realize you were so hungry," Kia said. Concern for the reindeer was only part of it. Watching him and Luffy eat through plate after plate without pause had her own stomach feeling overfull.

"Yeah Luffy," Zoro added. "Didn't you just eat until you were full?"

Luffy didn't pause, just spoke while chewing. "Nah, I was only half full!"

"You know Luffy," Kia said wryly. "Just because your body stretches to fit all the food, doesn't mean you have to keep eating until you pop."

Luffy swallowed, and spoke quickly while cutting up another bite. "The race is tomorrow, and we need stamina!" he said.

"Uh-huh!" Chopper agreed, looking a little green.

Usopp rolled his eyes at Chopper. "You know, you don't have to do everything he does."

Chopper froze with another bite on the way to his mouth, then dropped the fork back to the plate. "I don't?!" he exclaimed to Usopp, looking shocked and thrilled, and Kia chuckled.

"No, you never need to try to keep eating just because Luffy is," she answered, and Chopper sighed in relief as he abandoned his plate.

Kia watched as Luffy's hands disappeared, and then reappeared with more food. "You're getting better at that, but the other diners may be upset to lose their food," she warned.

"So good," Luffy mumbled and continued to eat, swiping plates from the servers as soon as they exited the kitchen. "This place is great!" he said. "The food just keeps coming and coming!"

"Your stomach must be bottomless," Zoro muttered. He glanced at Kia, then around the room. It calmed her slightly to know she wasn't the only one that noticed the angry people surrounding them. Suddenly he jumped up, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"Eh?" Luffy grunted, just as his face was slammed down into the table in front of them so hard that the table broke in two. Usopp and Chopper were frozen in their seats as the dishes fell to the floor, the noise causing everyone in the room to stop and look over.

Kia grabbed the napkin from her lap, and used it to wipe off the gravy running down her leg.

"What was that for?" Zoro asked calmly. Luffy obviously wasn't hurt, and Zoro waited to see what his captain would do.

"What was that for?" the man who stood over Luffy asked Zoro in shock. "What was that for?!" he demanded in anger. Kia could see that Usopp and Chopper were trying not to move, hoping to be invisible. She said nothing, just studied the man. He wore black pants and a gold zip up sweater with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His hair was a light brown, falling around his face in layers.

The napkin tied around his neck like a bib, told her that he was also a messy eater, and his lanky build and the strength with which he slammed Luffy's face through the table suggested he was very strong and most likely ate a lot to keep up with his metabolism, just like Luffy. She could hardly fault him for being angry at having his food stolen. Most of the crew had reacted the same at one point or another.

"That's what I want to know!" the man shouted at Zoro.

"You're not making any sense!" Zoro yelled back, annoyed.

"Shut up! He was stealing my food! Just because he can stretch his arms across the room, doesn't mean…" the man stopped as he realized what he had just said. "Stretch… his… arms…?" he repeated slowly. He stared at Luffy for a moment before freaking out. "HIS ARMS STRETCHED!" he shouted.

"Duh," Usopp muttered.

Luffy then began to stand up, and Kia stared at the strange man wondering why she couldn't remember him. __His tattoo is very memorable, so why? What adventure was this?!__ she asked herself as she studied the hook across his left cheek. __I wonder what it means?__

"You're asking for it," Luffy said, frowning at the man in front of him, and bringing his hand up to wipe food from his face.

"You ate the devil's fruit?" the man asked.

"Yeah. So what?" Luffy asked.

The man glared at him, but was interrupted by several men from nearby tables coming over and shouting. "Hey! You're the one that stole all our food!" one yelled. "Yeah, we saw you!" another said as they came closer.

"Don't you know who we are?" the man in front asked.

Kia looked around the man next to Luffy so see about thirty men standing in front of them, with weapons in their hands and sneers on their faces. The man in front had pink hair, and oddly enough… a facial tattoo on his left cheek of a marine symbol with swords crossed in front of it. __What… is going on?__ she thought.

"We're with General Gasparde," the pink-haired man said with a smirk. "Which means, you can't get away with this insult."

The man next to Luffy reached up and tore the napkin from his neck. Kia noticed his sweater had the same picture of a hook as his tattoo, which she found strange. He strode over to the man with the pink hair, getting right up in his face without saying a word.

"What?" the pink-haired man sneered. "You gonna apologize? Too late! You're out before the race even starts!"

"Hey!" Luffy called, following and grabbing the man in gold's shoulder. "You're still fighting with me!"

"Luffy, look out!" Kia called as another pirate shot his gun directly at Luffy's chest. Everyone froze at the sound of the gunshot, and watched as Luffy stumbled back. He stopped and held his ground, the bullet making his skin stretch extremely far back.

The patrons sitting behind where Luffy was were freaking out, and Luffy called to the men in front of him. "That won't work! Cause I'm made of rubber!" His skin retracted, and the bullet shot forward, missing the men and making a hole in the wall behind them.

Kia smirked at the terrorized looks on their faces. "Serves them right," she muttered to Zoro.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Luffy demanded of the man who had shot at him. "You surprised me!"

"Uh… normally people are more than just surprised…" the man answered in fear.

"What __ARE__ you?" another man asked.

Kia watched the men across from them, noting that the man in gold still hadn't moved or spoken. The pirates around him were yelling and waving swords and guns around, while he was still- and listening to Luffy answer their questions.

Then suddenly Luffy reared back, his arm stretching far behind him. "Gum-gum… pistol!" he shouted, as his arm rocketed forward and punched the man who had shot him, taking him and three others slamming back into the wall. The pink haired man, and the man in gold looked down in shock at the arm in front them.

"How was that?" Luffy asked with a grin, as his arm came back to normal. The group of pirates in front of him were now staring at him with gaping mouths… all except the man in the gold sweater. And they began shouting.

"Monster!"

"He ate a devil's fruit!"

"He's just like the general!"

"We should leave him alone!"

"You idiots!" the pink-haired man shouted to them. "He's just a kid! Everyone, get him!" he shouted, and the pirates raised their weapons once again, ready to fight.

The leader raised his own sword, and swung it at the man in gold, who used his napkin to divert the blade away. Kia noticed the smile on his face as he began to fight, and turning, saw the same look on Luffy's face. It seemed they had found a kindred spirit in the guy.

The entire room was now in on the brawl, and it seemed to be all of them against Luffy and the man in gold. Kia watched in awe as he used a table, and then food to avoid being shot, then threw a chair up in the air. The men who were attacking him looked up, and he pounced. Punching one in the face, and kicking another, he grabbed the third and moved him into place just as the chair crashed on his head, and Kia giggled. He threw another chair in front of a charging man, stopping him in his tracks, and did a slide tackle with a kick upward, nailing the man in the face, and taking his sword.

The pirates around him all stepped back in fear, even though it was still twenty swords to one. Kia looked over at Luffy, as he dodged attack after attack while watching the other man fight, and she laughed again.

Usopp pulled her with him behind Zoro, as several men had heard her laugh, and were now headed for their little group. Zoro looked bored, but as the nine men came at them, he jumped into action with his swords out, blocking all of their attacks at once. "At least give me a challenge," he sneered.

"Who is this guy?" one of the pirates asked.

"Way to go Zoro!" Usopp cheered, and Kia looked behind her, to see him and Chopper hiding behind a pillar. She smiled and shook her head, even as Zoro took care of the men in front of him.

"I told you not to move," he grumbled at the boys, but kept his eyes on Kia. She was back to watching the fight, and had followed the group out towards the center railing of the hall. It seemed the pirates were more interested in the man in gold, and had followed him out there. There was a huge loop of chain that was used to carry items to each floor, and it continuously moved in its circle. The man grabbed onto the chain, riding it upwards to get away, and the remaining pirates did the same.

"Kia! Come on!" Luffy called, grabbing her arm, and practically throwing her on his back. She grinned in excitement, wanting to see the end of the fight, and Luffy grabbed on to the chain, and they started moving upward.

"I wonder where he's going?" Kia asked, and Luffy laughed.

"All that's up there is a ship, hanging from the ceiling!" he answered.

They both turned as they heard their names being called. "Luffy, Kia!" What are you doing?" Nami asked, as she, Robin, and Sanji stared at them.

"Just watching a fight!" Kia called back.

"Oh, okay. Just don't get lost!" Nami replied.

"You got it!" Kia yelled with a grin, and looked back up. "Hey Luffy, he jumped to the ship!" she told him.

"Shi, shi, shi…" Luffy laughed. "And all the other guys too!"

"We're almost there!" she said, and they looked up as all the men went flying out of the ship, and hurtling down to the water several stories below. "Wow! He took them all out?" she said exuberantly.

"Hold on!" Luffy said, and he stretched his arm over to the ship, pulling them inside. Kia didn't want to fall out like the pirates, so she stayed where she was on Luffy's back. "That was excellent!" Luffy told the man in gold. "You're really good!"

"It was fun just watching!" Kia added, noticing the pink-haired man was still in the ship, but he looked terrified.

"Oh, well thank you," the man in gold answered with a smirk. "I never thought I'd come face to face with a man with such a high bounty." Kia could hear the return smirk Luffy gave, even though she couldn't see it.

"So, what's your name?" Kia asked.

"Me?" the man teased. "I'm -"

"HEY!" the pink- haired man shouted as he finally stood up. "Don't ignore me!"

"Haven't you had enough?" Luffy asked him.

"It's not over yet!" he shouted. "A high bounty? You?!" he sneered. "Don't make me laugh. Our boss has a 95 million beri bounty! He's the real deal!"

"Wow, that's cool!" Luffy grinned. "That's more than Crocodile was!"

Kia smirked, wondering if Luffy even remembered how much his own bounty had gone up to.

"Do you think his crewman is going to let you get away with this?" the pink-haired man asked, his sword pointing at Luffy and Kia.

"Maybe!" Luffy answered with a smile, infuriating the man.

"Of course not!" he shouted, swinging the sword.

Luffy threw Kia to the side, as he stretched back to avoid the blow, and the man's sword went through the ropes that were holding the ship up. The ship immediately tilted and Kia reached out for Luffy, as he fell over the side with the pink-haired man.

"Luffy!" she yelled, grasping for a hand hold.

"Hold on!" she heard in her ear, as she was grabbed, and suddenly airborne. When she felt the landing, she realized she was being held by the man in gold, who had literally picked her up as he jumped from the ship. She looked over his shoulder at the railing, just as Luffy swung back over, carting the pink-haired man with him.

"You saved him?" the man in gold asked. "You're a strange one."

"And you saved Kia!" Luffy grinned. "Thanks!"

"So… shall we continue?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said eagerly. He stood up and brought his fists up. "You ready?" he asked.

"Maybe, put me down before fighting?" Kia deadpanned.

"It seems he wants another go," the man told Luffy, who turned to see the pink-haired man standing up with his sword in hand.

"Let it go," Luffy told him.

"What's all the ruckus?" Another voice called from inside the room behind Luffy, and Kia looked to the man holding her as his eyes lit up and he grinned in anticipation.

She looked back, seeing the pink-haired man looking like he was having a stroke, as two men stood in the aftermath of a huge fight. There were bodies strewn everywhere, swords and daggers sticking out of furniture and walls, and these two men looked as if they hadn't been involved, their clothes not even mussed in the slightest.

"General Gasparde?" the pink-haired man asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Gasparde?" Luffy asked.

"Am I not supposed to be here?" the general asked.

"No, no, of course! You can be wherever you want!" the man replied in terror. "I'm so sorry, I just thought you were drinking on the ship today!"

"Who are you?" the general asked.

"What? Who am I?" the pink-haired man asked in confusion. "I'm part of your crew."

"I don't know you," the general replied. "I don't know a pirate who gets beaten by some nobody. I have no need for that kind of pirate on my crew."

Kia flinched as the man next to the general suddenly appeared next to the pink-haired man. He grabbed the blubbering man by the shoulder, and he yelped in pain. He then flung the man away with one hand, and he flew over their heads, dropping down into the water below. Luffy went over to the railing, wanting to ensure the man was all right. Kia could see the anger on his face, at a captain treating his crew so callously.

"Who is that?" Kia said softly, as the other man reappeared next to the general a moment later. She felt herself being moved, as the man in gold slowly lowered her feet to the ground, and she stood. She moved to the side, over towards Luffy, and the man walked forward toward the general.

"Who are you?" the general asked.

"My name, is Shryer…" the man in gold replied, as he pulled his sleeves down. "A bounty hunter. The nobody." He smirked, even as he pulled out a hat, and placed it on his head.

"Shryer the pirate hunter?" Kia could hear someone say. "Shryer Bascudo?"

"You're a bounty hunter?" Luffy asked as he put Kia slightly behind himself.

"A rather famous one," Shryer answered.

"I know you as well," the general said to Luffy. "You don't look like you should even have a bounty at all, but I suppose you did okay. You've got potential." He smiled, and Kia shivered. "Why don't you two come work for me?" he asked.

Shryer smirked. "I work for the other side. I'm supposed to bring you in."

"I used to be a marine myself," Gasparde replied. "I don't care, as long as you have skill. I like a strong crew."

"That's bold," Shryer said. He looked back at Luffy. "What do you think?" he asked.

"No," Luffy answered, and Shryer frowned.

"Like Luffy would ever join a traitor," Kia said quietly to herself, holding onto Luffy's shoulder.

"Ack!" she yelped as she was suddenly taken hold of, the movement of the general's man so fast that Luffy's hat fell off his head. She froze, feeling something sharp at her throat.

"My hat!" Luffy said as he reached down for it. Standing back up, he saw the man with large claws at Kia's neck, droplets of blood running down her neck, and he got angry. "Let. My. Sister. Go. NOW." he growled.

Kia saw the look of shock and anger cross Shryer's face, and wondered what that was about. She wanted to see Luffy's face too, but she didn't dare move a muscle.

The general laughed, "I like spunk…" he said. "but don't be a smart ass." He stood then, looking over at Luffy and Shryer. "Do whatever you want," he said nonchalantly. "But what can you do if you're dead?" He started to walk away. "Come see me on my ship, when you change your mind," he said over his shoulder. "Needles, let them go."

The man threw Kia to the side, right into Luffy, who lost his hat yet again. The man called Needles bent to grab it, and Luffy shouted, "DON'T!" Which stopped everyone in their tracks.

Luffy stormed over, grabbing his hat, and dusting it off. "No one touches my treasure!" he stated.

"That hat… is your treasure?" Shryer asked in disbelief, looking between him and Kia.

"I'm holding it for Shanks, so it's precious to me," Luffy answered.

"Shanks?" Shryer asked in shock. "He's a great pirate!"

"Yeah."

"You're no ordinary pirate, are you?" he asked.

"Yeah I am," Luffy answered, but then thought about it. "Well, I guess once I find the One Piece and become pirate king, then I won't be a regular pirate anymore."

The general started laughing. "You talk big, kid. Too bad you're a liar." He stepped through the door, and Kia and Luffy were surprised that Needles was next to him to shut it.

"That guy moves seriously fast," Kia said.

"Are you okay?" Luffy asked as he turned to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry to have gotten them mad at you," she replied, angry at her herself for her big mouth.

"I don't care about that," Luffy replied.

"Hey," Shryer said, getting their attention. He glanced at Kia sadly. "I don't feel like fighting you anymore," he said, finally looking at Luffy. "Let's continue this some other time."

"Sure," Luffy said with a smile, and Shryer turned and walked away.


	51. Chapter 51- Dead End Race cont

Kia yawned and stretched, not unhappy to be awake so early, but not really appreciating it either. "You okay Kia?" Sanji called down to her, from where he and Luffy were unfurling the sails.

"Yeah," she replied. "At least the sunrise is pretty!"

"Just like you, Kia my sweet!" Sanji said in reply and Kia rolled her eyes even as she thanked him. Nami came over to join her, looking at the eternal pose they received for the race.

"It's pointing toward that mountain," Nami told her, showing her the pose.

"Partia?" Kia asked, reading the name on the eternal pose. "Never heard of it."

"Neither have I, but that doesn't mean anything," Nami replied. "There are plenty of uncharted islands in the grand line."

"Which is why your map with be so wonderful," Kia said with a grin. "It will truly be one of a kind."

"Which means I can charge whatever I want!" Nami squealed with laughter.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked, as he and Luffy climbed down. "We're ready to get going."

"None of the other ships are here," Zoro said from the balcony. "Did they already start without us?"

"Ha ha!" Kia laughed. "Zoro always gets left behind," she teased, and the others laughed even as Zoro yelled at Kia to shut up.

"Isn't it time for our workout?" he asked her with a wicked grin.

"Not today," Nami overruled. "We need everyone focused so we can win!"

The door to the kitchen opened, and Robin stepped out. "The starting point is that mountain," she told the crew. "There are many rivers and canals throughout the town, and they all run to the mountain. The other ships are probably waiting in those canals. The peak is the official starting point."

"Wait," Nami called to her. "We have to go __up__ the mountain?"

"Yes," Robin replied. "You've already done it before at reverse mountain, right?"

"Well, yes," Nami answered. "But that mountain had a huge current!"

"This one does too, every few years any way," Robin said with a smile. "The wind changes, and the currents go toward the mountain."

"You're so full of knowledge, Miss Robin," Sanji said with hearts in his eyes.

"So basically, it's a mystery start!" Luffy announced.

"No it isn't," Usopp told him. "Are we going to be okay?" he asked Nami. "Last time we almost wrecked the ship!"

"We'll be fine!" Luffy said with a grin.

There was a pause, and Nami looked up almost like a bloodhound sniffing out its prey. "The wind!" she called to everyone. "Luffy, reinforce the yard! Usopp, the rudder! Chopper and Kia, to the stern! Sanji and Zoro, watch the shrouds on both sides!"

Everyone jumped to move into position, waiting as a huge gust of wind filled the sails. The current moved the ship along though a tunnel, and everyone was quiet as they waited for whatever was on the other side.

Moving into the bright light, they could hear the cheers around them, people lining the streets and waving them along. Luffy and Usopp cheered along with them, yelling out how they would win the race, only to be disappointed when they heard the crowd telling them to not mess up the favorite to win.

Kia stayed where she was, enjoying the views of the town, the brightness of the sun, and the wind in her face. Chopper moved around the ship, excited at everything he was seeing, and nervous at the thought of going up a mountain on a boat.

"That's nothing!" Usopp told him. "Want to hear how thanks to me we got up reverse mountain?"

"Of course I do!" Chopper said in awe.

"There's the other ships!" Sanji called from the rope ladder. "On both sides of us! Whoa, that one's huge!"

The crew looked over at what he was talking about. "It's a steamboat. I've never seen one like that before," Sanji added.

"It's the favorite in the race," Nami said. "Gasparde's ship, the Salamander."

"What's on his sail?" Usopp asked. "An X over the mark of the marines?"

"Yup," Nami answered. "He used to be a marine. He hijacked his own ship and became a pirate. There's a 95 million bounty on his head. And… he's eaten a devil fruit."

"Whoa, no wonder he's the favorite…" Usopp said in awe and fear.

"His nickname is the General," Nami continued. "But I didn't hear any good things about him."

"What do you expect? He's a pirate!" Usopp said.

"Who cares anyway?" Luffy asked, and they all turned to him. "I don't like him."

The crew dropped the subject, as ships began to surround them, Nami telling them all who was the captain of each one. She had obviously done her research.

"It's getting steeper!" Chopper shouted as he and Zoro hung on to the banisters of the staircase.

"No problem!" Nami called as she backed up onto the wall behind her. Kia smiled as she sat against the railing, enjoying the amazing views.

The yelling stopped all around them as they made their way to the peak, the view of the open ocean stretched before them, and then everyone was yelling as ships all around them including their own sailed past the crest, and did a free fall down the other side.

Thankfully, it's wasn't too long before they rejoined the current, though the speed continued to pick up as they careened down the mountainside. Everywhere sounds of cannons could be heard, and ships on all sides began fighting with the others. The Merry was overlooked at first, since she was so small, and Robin called out to Nami to help them navigate through the mess.

"What are they doing?!" Usopp choked out.

"The race has started now," Zoro said with a smirk. "Anything goes."

"Usopp! To the stern!" Nami called out.

He made his way there slowly, muttering to himself about it all being up to him. Kia met him there, having loaded the cannon for him.

"Here goes," he called as he aimed and fired. The cannonball hit the larger ship's cannon, causing several explosions that tore the front of it apart. Usopp looked on in surprise before cheering and telling Kia that was how a __real__ man did it. She gave him a hug, and he blushed.

"They're all having so much fun!" Luffy called from the front of the ship. The rest of the crew stood behind him, watching in awe as the ships took each other out one by one.

Kia watched as several smaller ships swerved out of the way of Gasparde's, though she couldn't really blame them. It's masthead would've carved right through them.

The madness continued, as ships exploded, sank, ran aground, and every other imaginable disaster. The water in front of them was now littered with vessels that were no longer moving, and Nami yelled at Chopper to turn the rudder, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wasn't moving.

"Perhaps we can kick the Merry, to give it a cushion?" Zoro asked, and Nami yelled at him for being an idiot.

"Although… a cushion…" she said softly. "Oh Luffy!" she called out. Kia looked from the stern, as Luffy jumped out and made his balloon, giving the Merry Go a softer ramp to get over the fallen ship, which took them up in the air.

"Luffy!" Kia and Usopp shouted from the back, and Luffy stretched his arm to grab onto them, though he was winded, so instead of retracting his arm, he just flopped around in the air behind them.

"We're going to crash!" Chopper yelled.

Robin closed her eyes. "Grand Fleur!" she called, sprouting hands all over the side of the Merry, forming what could have been a giant arm that pulled on a building nearby and got them back to the water.

"Good going Robin!" Luffy called from behind them, Usopp and Kia working on reeling him in.

"It amazes me sometimes, how we are still alive," Sanji said with a smile, as he lit a cigarette.

"Thank you Robin, just as I planned!" Nami said in relief, looking over at the exhausted archeologist.

"Liar!" Zoro accused.

"Let's just enjoy the race," Kia said as she walked down the stairs with Luffy and Usopp.

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "We're one of the last ones, but we'll catch up in no time!" He looked around at the ships ahead of them. "This is one of the reasons I love being a pirate!" he shouted, pumping the rest of the crew up as well.

"Let's get organized," Nami said, as she collected herself.

"I'll make lunch," Sanji offered.

"Thank you!" Luffy cheered.

"Zoro, Usopp, go check for damages," Nami ordered, and the two of them muttered, but went to do as she asked.

* * *

Sanji and Kia were serving up lunch when Zoro entered the kitchen.

"You okay Zoro?" Kia asked. "I thought I heard something."

"Something is right," he replied. "We have a stowaway." The crew looked over at the small child in Zoro's arms.

"What happened?" Kia asked, even as Chopper took the child from Zoro and laid him down on the bed in the corner.

I found him hiding in the bathroom," Zoro explained.

"You're so cruel," Nami said. "to do this to a child!"

"I couldn't help it, he had a gun!" Zoro retorted.

"Zoro's a meanie!" Luffy and Usopp said in a sing song voice.

"Shut up, you guys," Zoro growled.

"Lunch is almost ready!" Sanji called. "Go wash your hands!"

"Yes sir!" Luffy hollered, running out quickly, with Usopp on his tail.

"Look," Chopper said. "He's waking up."

The boy scuttled away from Chopper in fear, exclaiming about a talking deer, which only made Chopper angry, and he yelled, "I'm a __rein__ deer!"

"That's even stranger!" the kid yelled, searching for a way out of the literal corner he had backed into.

"Shut up you!" Chopper exclaimed.

Kia and Nami smirked at each other, but hearing the kid stuttering, "M… M…" Nami interrupted.

"Don't call him a monster,"she told the kid. "He's a very good doctor, just… not the best at expressing himself."

Kia looked around, from where she and Nami and Zoro were seated at the table, to Sanji at the stove, Robin, Luffy and Usopp at the door, and finally Chopper on the floor near the kid. __He must be scared witless, being surrounded like this,__ she thought.

"Looking for this?" Nami asked as she put a gun down on the table. "You could get yourself killed trying to smuggle yourself on a pirate ship. Why did you?"

The kid was shaking, and Kia felt horrible. "Take it easy Nami," she said quietly. "He's been through a lot in a short amount of time."

"To kill you."

They all looked back to the child, who had his head hanging down. It rose defiantly as he yelled, "To kill you and get the bounty! I need it!"

"Money huh?" Nami asked. "Can't say I blame you. But why this ship out of all the pirates on that island?"

"Obviously it's because we're the famous Straw Hat Pirates, right?" Usopp asked from the doorway.

"Never heard of you!" the child replied. "This ship looked the smallest and weakest!"

"Laugh, that's funny," Usopp told Luffy who burst out laughing.

"Shut up! I'm not joking!" the kid yelled.

"A pirate's life is always in danger from bounty hunters," Luffy said with a smile. "But, if you're half-hearted about it, you'll never get me."

Robin looked in the door next to Luffy, and suddenly the gun was thrown to the kid. "Show us what you've got," she challenged. "Or all you all talk?"

Kia wasn't the only one to protest, but the kid just got angry and raised the gun, and shot Luffy. It didn't do much good, but apparently it appeased both Luffy and Robin as to the kid's guts.

Seeing Luffy survive however, made the kid deflate. "Just… get it over with. Kill me," he said as he sat down.

"Don't take life so lightly," Nami said, her eyes narrowing.

"I don't want a pirate preaching at me," the boy replied. "Who cares any way? What's the use of living, if there's no hope? At that point, life is no longer worth living!"

Nami was angry now, Kia could feel it. She tried to keep Nami from standing up, but Nami just shrugged her hand off. She stood up on the bench, stepping over Zoro. "Let me borrow a sword," she said.

"Don't step over me," was Zoro's response, and Kia gave him a withering look.

"You have no idea…" Nami said softly, "what you're talking about." She pulled the sword from its sheath, and pointed it at the kid. "If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get."

"Nami! Don't!" Chopper yelled, standing in front of her.

"Stay out of it!" Nami said, still glaring daggers at the kid. "This really pisses me off! So life isn't worth living?! At least you're still alive! Don't you ever say that, ever again!"

"That's enough! I'm sure he understands!" Chopper said, waving his arms in front of Nami, trying to get her to look away from the kid. He turned to Luffy and Usopp who were watching the show from the doorway. "Don't just sit there!" he yelled at them. Sanji called out that lunch was ready and Chopper changed into his heavy point to keep Nami from hitting the kid. "Sanji!" he called out for help.

"What kind of life have you been living that you think it isn't worth it?!" Nami demanded, thrashing in Chopper's grip, trying to get away.

"You seem to be enjoying this," Kia muttered to Zoro.

"The kid shot at me," he replied, turning his smirk to Kia. "Nami won't kill him, but he doesn't know that."

Nami continued to rant, and Chopper continued to hold her back as the others sat at the table. "I'll cut those naive ideas right out of you!" Nami screamed.

"Let's eat!" Luffy and Usopp yelled, ignoring the scene behind them, and Kia just shook her head.

The kid, seeing the door now free of people, made a run for it, and the crew let him go, knowing there was nowhere he could go. Nami gave Zoro back his sword, and he muttered about having to polish it again, and they sat and ate their lunch, wondering what they would do with the child.

Kia didn't eat much, worried not only for the boy, but also for her crew. She didn't know what to do in this situation, being unsure of what was happening around her. Walking outside, she found the deck beginning to be covered in snow, and she headed downstairs for her jacket. Knowing the child was outside as well, she looked around for an extra blanket.

Climbing back upstairs, Kia could hear Sanji talking, and she slowed down so as not to interrupt.

"When you try to live life… it can be really hard on you," he was saying. "But still, there's always a tomorrow." He took a drag of his cigarette, and glanced around at the snow. "You may be too young to understand now, but you will someday," he said kindly, then stood up to leave, walking towards where Kia was standing.

Behind her she heard Luffy walk up. "What was that?" Luffy asked. "Why are you being so nice?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Hmm," Sanji said, actually thinking about it. "I wonder why too," he replied.

"Well I thought it was wonderful," Kia said, squeezing Sanji's arm as she passed him.

"Thank you Kia my dear!" Sanji exclaimed happily, and Kia chuckled as she went around the corner to give the kid another blanket.

* * *

"Ship! Coming up behind us!" Robin called out from the crow's nest.

The crew gathered at the stern, watching as the larger ship gained on them. The captain of the ship started yelling out insults, which everyone ignored.

"Didn't we see him at the start of the race?" Kia asked.

"Yeah, Bigelo or something, right?" Chopper added.

The captain then began insulting their little ship, which had everyone's eyes narrowing. Suddenly the captain was hit in the face, and fell back, his entire crew rushing over to help him.

The straw hat crew all glanced over to their sniper, who had his slingshot out, and was looking shocked. "It hit?" he asked.

"Way to go Usopp!" Nami said with a grin, and Usopp's bravado returned.

"Of course, that's what real men do!" he called back.

"Now for the crew," Luffy said with a grin, starting to rotate his arms, even as Sanji and Zoro walked forward.

"We'll handle this one captain," Zoro said.

"Yeah, just wait here," Sanji added.

Kia felt something brush her side, and looking down expecting Chopper, she was surprised to see the kid watching in fear. "Don't worry," Kia said softly. "They are strong, and will beat all of them."

"Really?" he replied.

"Just watch," Kia answered.

Jumping over to the other ship was no problem for Zoro and Sanji, especially since the ships were so close together. After giving a few words, they both decided it would take only one minute to take care of the other pirates, and they jumped down onto the deck from the figurehead.

Zoro immediately brandished his three swords, cutting down large groups of the crew at once, while Sanji got himself into position, and flipped to his hands, spinning around to kick the rest of the crew with his feet as he spun.

Before the last one was down, the ships started rocking and Kia almost called out earthquake before remembering she was on the ocean.

"What's going on?" someone yelled, even as the Merry shot away, and Bigelo's ship was raised up as a large sea king came out of the water followed by several others. Everyone on both ships began screaming, The straw hat's for Sanji and Zoro, and Bigelo's crew for their lives.

"That's it!" Luffy shouted. "Grab on guys!" And he shot his fist up to the ship.

"Where are you aiming?!" all the straw hats yelled as his fist missed the ship and went directly into the monster's nose.

"Ugh!" Luffy said, pulling back his arm. The sea king's face began twitching, and with a large sneeze, both ships were shot away from danger.

"Where are they?" Usopp asked, watching as Bigelo's ship finally came to a halt on it's side behind them and began to sink. "Zoro! Sanji!" he called.

"There!" Nami yelled, seeing a hand come up out of the water. Luffy stretched to grab the hand, pulling up only to see that it was someone they didn't know.

"Nope, not them!" he called back flinging the unknown pirate away.

"Over there!" Robin called from up in the crow's nest. Looking to where she was pointing, Luffy stretched out again with both hands this time, and pulled in the swordsman and chef. Chopper and Kia immediately checked them over, making sure both were breathing.

"That was a close one," Luffy said with a laugh.

"Maybe next time don't stick your hand in its nose," Kia replied with a grin.

"Yeah, that was gross."

"I think I still need mouth to mouth…" Sanji cooed.

"Hey Nami," Kia said as she joined the navigator at the railing.

"Kia," Nami replied, not looking away from the eternal pose.

"What's wrong?" Kia asked.

Nami looked up then, gazing at the horizon in front of her. "Ever get the feeling that you're going somewhere you've already been?" she asked.

"We've been to this Partia place before?" Kia asked.

"No, not that I know of anyway," Nami replied. "More of a feeling… like we're going back…" She glanced up at Kia with a sheepish smile. "I know it really doesn't make sense."

Kia looked out at the horizon, knowing enough by now to trust Nami's instincts. "There's an island far in the distance," she said. "I'll go get the binoculars and see what I can see before it gets dark."

"Thanks Kia," Nami said, though what she meant was, thanks for believing me.

"No problem," Kia replied. She went over to the mast and began climbing up to the crow's nest. Looking out, she realized she wouldn't be able to see anything clearly for a bit, the island was still too far away. But, Nami's words stuck with her, so she stayed where she was, making small talk with Robin as she watched the island grow larger.

"What the?" she muttered as she looked at the island once again. It was growing dark, so she blinked several times and looked again, but there was no mistaking it.

"What is it?" Robin asked her.

"A trap, that's what," Kia replied as she hurriedly left the nest, making her way down the ladder as she shouted for Nami.

Finally reaching the bottom, it wasn't only Nami that had come over, but the rest of the crew as well.

"Kia, what is it?" Nami asked concerned.

"Navarone!" Kia answered. "That island is Navarone!"

"The marine base we escaped from?" Usopp asked. "We're nowhere near that place!" He gave Kia a look like she was crazy.

She thrust the binoculars at him, and pointed to the island. "There are searchlights, as I'm sure you can see, but look at the water in front of the island," she directed.

"Whoa, there's a bunch of wrecked ships," he said.

"Yeah, wrecked pirate ships that have been blown up by cannon fire," she replied.

"But we've been following an eternal pose to Partia, haven't we?" Zoro asked.

Nami held the pose up, and she and Sanji looked at it again, pointing the way directly to island in front of them.

"Maybe we got the wrong eternal pose in the first place," Robin said.

Sanji held his hand out, and Nami gave the pose to him. He pulled a tool from his pocket and poked at the plate of metal that had the name of the island on it. It fell away easily and exposed the word Navarone underneath it.

"We've been tricked," Sanji said, as everyone looked at the pose in anger. "Someone betrayed all of us, and sent us to a marine base instead."

"Gasparde must have done it."

The crew looked up to where their captain stood at the railing, away from the group.

"Luffy?" Nami asked.

"It's just like him to something dirty like this," Luffy said in anger as he stared at Navarone and all the destroyed ships.

"I think… he's right."

They all turned to see the kid climbing up the stairs. "I saw a whole bunch of eternal pose on the ship a few days ago."

"A pirate selling out other pirates?" Zoro asked in disgust. "Some general."

"What scum," Sanji muttered.

"So what's the plan?" Usopp questioned.

"Are we going after him?" Robin asked.

"How can we without the real eternal pose?" Nami replied.

"It's too late…" the kid said, and the crew turned. "Too late for us, too late for Grandpa…"

"Your grandpa?" Kia asked.

"Not my real one," he replied. "But he saved my life, and he's sick , and they won't give him medicine because they say we aren't real crew members. So I … I …."

"You came here to get money for medicine," Nami deduced, and he nodded.

"I'm so sorry," Kia said softly, just as Luffy called out.

"You stupid or something?"

"Hey, Luffy!" Kia reprimanded, but he just continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"Your grandpa didn't save your life, so you could throw it away," he said.

"I know, but-"

"If you know, you need to stay alive… for him. If you're determined to risk your life that is."

Kia looked shocked, always surprised when Luffy was serious. The others were glancing at each other with smirks, knowing that their captain was gearing up to make a move.

"Why not just get him off the ship?" Luffy asked, and the kid hung his head again.

"I know."

"You haven't even tried, so don't act like you know everything!" Luffy said, and tears welled up on the kid's face.

"You don't have to tell me that…" he muttered.

"Good!" Luffy said with a smile, finally turning around to look at them. "We're gonna go right now, so I can kick his butt." No one had a single doubt of who he was referring to. "Wanna come along?"

The kid was suddenly full of life, shouting as the tears spilled over. "Yes! Take me with you!"

"You got it."

Kia looked over, noting that the others were smiling, though they were trying not to show it.

"I guess it's the only way," Nami commented. "We can't just let 300 million beri slip through our fingers, so we have to get the real eternal pose."

"We'd better turn around then!" Kia said with a grin. "Or we'll just be blown to pieces like the others!"

"Let's go!" Luffy shouted, raising his arms high as he gave the order.

"Aye aye!" Nami called back, shouting out what she needed from the crew.

"How are we going to find him?" Kia asked Luffy.

"Easy," he replied. "Chopper's nose!"

"Okay!" Chopper answered, heading for the front of the ship, Sanji seamlessly taking his place at the rudder.

"And leave the rest to the navigator!" Nami grinned.

"Are you always like this?" Robin asked curiously, looking around the crew.

"Yeah, most of the time," Zoro answered, somewhat as a challenge.

* * *

"It's starting to rain pretty hard," Kia commented to Nami.

"Yeah, it is. And it will get worse too," she replied. "We're riding __into__ the storm this time, not away from it."

"Light ahead!" Robin called from the crow's nest.

Kia looked forward, seeing Luffy standing where he normally sat, atop Merry's head. The Going Merry was making great time, considering the choppy water, and caught up to Gasparde's ship quickly. "One of their paddles isn't working," Nami stated. "They aren't moving any more at all."

"I can't believe we found him," Usopp muttered.

"Hey!" Chopper said in annoyance. "You didn't believe in me?!"

"GASPARDE!" Luffy shouted as loudly as he could, then punched his arm toward the other ship, grabbed on, and rocketed himself over.

It wasn't long after that cannonballs started flying towards the smaller vessel, and just as abruptly, stopped shortly after.

"Looks like Luffy already got started," Sanji said as the Merry pulled up along side the other ship.

Zoro glared down at the kid. "You sure you know where to go?" he asked skeptically, and the kid nodded.

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Kia smirked.

"Yeah, this guy has no sense of direction," Sanji added, as he twirled a grappling hook through the air, and tossed it toward the deck above them.

"You two shut it!" Zoro said, and Kia stifled a giggle, knowing he was self conscious about it. But she still loved to tease him, since his cheeks would turn red when she did. And besides, Zoro was so amazing at everything else he did, it was kind of nice that he had a flaw.

"Have fun guys, I've got your backs!" Usopp called out, and Zoro and Sanji shook their heads at him.

"Kia, stay here with Usopp," Zoro called as he picked up the kid and climbed up after Sanji.

"Not a chance," Kia replied softly, and started climbing once Zoro was at the top. After a climb that was more difficult than she would ever admit, she peeked over the edge of the deck, seeing Sanji talking to Gasparde, with Luffy looking on. She could see Zoro and the boy were behind Luffy, talking to another man.

"Kia?" Sanji asked as she pulled herself up and stepped behind him.

"Anyone hurt?" she asked.

"Luffy! We're finished here!" Zoro called out, and picked up the kid again, bringing him back to the rope.

"Okay," Luffy replied, not looking away from Gasparde in front of him.

"Kia," Zoro said as he came closer. "We're done, get back to the ship."

"I can't," she answered, looking over at Luffy.

"Luffy can handle this himself," he answered.

"I know that," she replied. "But see that guy at his feet?"

Zoro glanced back to Luffy, seeing the crumpled man laying on the deck between the two captains. At first, he figured it was one of Gasparde's crew, and was ready to haul Kia back to the ship himself. But his memory triggered, as he took in the gold color of his ripped and dirty sweater.

"The guy from the fight?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna help him," she replied, gripping the strap of her bag. Zoro's eyes were pulled to it, where he saw the same mark that was on Chopper's bag.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll get the kid back, and help."

"I can do it," she argued.

"Luffy's about to fight, Kia my sweet," Sanji cautioned. "You should let Zoro take any risks of getting hurt."

"I'm not going to take a risk, I'll wait until they move away from him," she answered. She looked at Zoro, seeing he was unwilling to budge. "Sanji, will you help me?" she asked suddenly.

"Kia my love, I'll help you with anything!" Sanji shouted as he twirled around her. "She must be in love with me!" he said to himself… out loud… which had Kia wincing.

Zoro, realizing her mouth had gotten her in trouble, decided to leave her to it. "All right, get back quickly. Nami's yelling something about hurrying because of the weather," he said, and dropped down the rope ladder.

Sanji finally settled down, following after Kia as she moved forward. "As soon as they move, we dart in and get him to safety, okay?" Kia said.

"Of course!" Sanji replied. "You're so caring Kia dear!"

Kia watched as Luffy readied to fight, his fists up, and Gasparde yelling at him about how he was going to die.

"Stop."

Kia put her arm up in front of Sanji, halting their progress. Shryer had stood up, in between the two fighters.

"Stand back," he said to Luffy. "I am going first."

"You! But-" Luffy answered in surprise.

"What can you do?" Gasparde asked in derision.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Shryer yelled. "For eight long years, I've waited for the chance to get back at you! You killed __everyone!__ My sister, my parents… everyone I knew!"

Kia looked at Luffy, seeing his hands drop as he listened to the man. "I __know__ what I'm doing is pointless, but I've shed too much blood just to get here, so I __will__ take you down... General."

"That's what I call, stupid," Gasparde responded emotionlessly.

"Say whatever you want…" Shryer said as he swayed on his feet. Kia watched as he fell back into Luffy. "Sorry," he said, trying to right himself.

Luffy didn't waste another moment, pulling back a fist, and punching Shryer in the face, straight towards Kia. He skid on the ground, and would have bowled her off her feet, if Sanji hadn't moved her out of the way. He came to a stop, just before the railing, and promptly passed out again.

"Why did he do that?" Sanji asked. Kia pulled free, and ran to Shryer, pulling off her bag and checking his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief, and looked up to thank Luffy.

Her eyes went round, as Luffy's hand was stuck… inside Gasparde's chest.

"Gross! What is this?" Luffy cried out.

"A devil fruit," Gasparde answered as he stood upright. "I can turn any part of my body into candy syrup. Which means…" he said with an evil looking grin, "it doesn't matter how strong you are. You easily become powerless."

Kia gasped as Luffy took punch after punch, his hat falling from his head, and blood starting to pour from his nose.

Sanji started to move forward, and Kia yelled, "Don't!"

"But the candy guy is really strong!" Sanji replied, still watching Luffy getting beaten.

"He won't be happy if you try to take over his fight," she explained, turning back to Shryer. "We can help by believing in him, and doing our jobs, and my job is to treat the wounded."

Sanji looked at her a moment and then smiled. "And my job, is food," he said. "Be right back!"

"What?" she asked, as he took toward the main part of the ship. She watched him run, and giggled as he jumped when Luffy's head appeared suddenly in front of him for a moment.

"You scared me!" he yelled at Luffy, and continued on.

Kia looked over at Luffy, seeing his head crash forward into Gasparde, causing an explosion of what looked like melted green jolly ranchers, before Gasparde reformed. Luffy rushed forward with his mouth wide open, taking a large bite of Gasparde, his cheeks bulging as the green syrup ran down his chin.

"Gross!" Kia yelled out, and Luffy spit it all back out, and Gasparde reformed again.

"Stop being a clown!" Gasparde yelled at Luffy, starting to finally lose his patience. "Get serious!"

"I'm always serious in a fight," Luffy replied.

"You call that serious?" Gasparde leered at him.

"I got out of your syrup, didn't I?" Luffy countered. Kia smirked, enjoying Luffy's quick retorts. She turned back to Shryer, cleaning the large cuts on his arms and face, straining to listen through the rain and wind.

"You shouldn't leave your treasure where it is unprotected…" she heard, and whipped around in horror, seeing the large green spike where his hand would be.

"Don't touch it!" Luffy shouted. "I'll kill you if you do anything to it!" Kia knew there was nothing he could do, and nothing she could do either to get the hat before Gasparde. Luffy shouted, "STOP!"

But Gasparde stabbed through the top of the straw hat, and began laughing. "Now are you serious?" he said as Luffy launched himself at him, slamming into his face before he could turn into syrup.

"Yeah, get 'im Luffy," Kia muttered. She had done all she could for Shryer now, who was sleeping peacefully despite the rain and the wind. She watched the fight as she waited for Sanji to return.

Luffy was pissed, and it almost made Kia happy, knowing that Gasparde was going to get his ass kicked. She almost wished Luffy would just drop him into the ocean so he could drown.

She hung her head a little, feeling bad for thinking that, before Gasparde threw the hat towards Luffy, ensuing the hole ripped through the brim on the way. She looked at Luffy in fright, knowing what the hat meant to him, then back at Gasparde, seething in anger. "You bastard!" she screamed as Luffy charged at him again.

"Luffy! You've got to hurry! There's a cyclone on it's way!"

Kia looked over to the rope ladder, wondering who was even yelling to them, the voice soft enough that she couldn't tell. She glanced back down at Shryer, then pulled her bag over her head so it was across one shoulder, then grabbed Shryer under his arms, and started dragging him towards the ladder. __Hopefully Sanji will be back to help me get him down,__ she thought, then stopped for a rest. __Or, to pick him up and carry him the rest of the way too…__

She pulled and pulled, gaining perhaps a foot or two at a time before needing to rest, the rain seeming to hinder her instead of help as she had hoped.

She could hear Sanji as he was speaking to Luffy, and she let go of Shryer to get to them.

"We're going to have to leave, but we'll come back for you. Any problems with that?"

"Nope," Luffy answered.

"Here you go then," Sanji said, passing the two large sacks he was carrying over to Luffy. "Use them well."

"What… are these?" Luffy asked.

"See you soon!" Sanji called, running over to Kia. "We've got to go!" he said loudly to her.

"Okay!" she yelled. "You grab Shryer," she pointed to where she had left him. "I'll find Luffy's hat!" Sanji glanced out at the water, and over to where Kia was running, knowing he had less than a minute left before the boiler blew.

"Forgive me Kia," he said, and ran to her, grabbing her in a princess hold, then running over towards the Merry, completely ignoring both Kia's protests and the ladder as he jumped from the deck of the larger ship and landed gracefully before his crew.

"Sanji, what the hell?!" Kia demanded.

"We have to go, now!" he said to the crew.

"But Luffy!"

"And Grandpa!"

"The old man is blowing up the boiler, in less than a minute!" Sanji replied, and Nami sprung into action, having Chopper steer the ship away toward the nearby island.

"No!" Kia shouted, pounding on Sanji's shoulder. "Luffy! Shryer! We can't just leave them!"

"I told him we'd come back!" Sanji tried explaining, even as he let her down. She immediately ran to the railing, looking back at the steamboat, hearing the crashes from Luffy's ongoing fight, but unable to see anything.

* * *

Kia felt sick. Eventually, once the Merry was out of the cyclone's path, Chopper came to get her, telling her that she needed to change out of her wet clothes, or she'd get sick. She didn't have the will to fight him, and let him lead her to the girls' room.

Nami was there, changing into dry clothes, and Kia noticed the kid was sitting on the bed too, looking miserable.

"Uh, Nami?" Kia asked in concern. "Changing in front of the kid is a bit much, don't you think?"

Nami laughed, and turned around as she finished. "Kia, I'd like you to meet Adele," she said, gesturing to the kid. "Adele, this is Kia."

"Adele?" Kia asked in surprise. With a sigh, she flopped down on the bed next to her. "You know… you could have corrected us any of the many, many times we called you a boy, right?" she asked Adele.

The little girl's mouth upturned slightly, before returning to a frown. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "Gran… uh, __we…__ decided it was smarter, and easier this way."

"Well it definitely fooled me," Kia replied, as she stood up. "Of course, now that Gasparde's gone, you can be a little girl again… if you want."

"I guess."

Nami and Kia exchanged glances, and Nami gave her a wink. "So, Kia, what happened up there? We didn't see much, and I'm worried about Luffy…" she said pointedly looking to Adele.

Kia returned the wink, certain of what she wanted. "Oh, it was a pretty tough fight, but Luffy was sure he would win. He just said he needed another minute, so he told us to go ahead and get safe, then come back for them when we could."

"Oh?" Nami asked, smiling slightly when Adele's head came up.

"Yeah, besides, I wouldn't have spent all that time treating Shryer if we were going to let him or Adele's grandpa get blown up," Kia continued. "We should probably hurry and change. I'm sure the guys will be wanting to go back to look for them soon."

Adele looked torn between anguish and hope, so Nami just continued. "I bet they'd like to put the whole mess of that ship behind them, and start fresh," she said. "Some smiling faces will surely help with that."

"Do you… really think so?" Adele asked quietly, her voice full of hope.

"Absolutely," Kia answered with a smile. __Please help us be right Luffy,__ she said to herself.

"Hey look," Nami said, pulling out a very short tank dress that was ruffled on the bottom. "This looks like it would fit you."

"It's really pretty!" Adele said with a wide-eyed grin, and Kia also smiled, thinking it would be much longer on the little girl.

"Well put it on then," Nami answered, and Kia smiled, as Adele rushed to do so. She yanked her hat off, her long hair tumbling down her shoulders.

"Reminds me of you," Nami muttered to Kia. "Hiding gorgeous hair."

"At least I'm not pretending to be a boy," Kia muttered back. "Take what you can get."

* * *

"I see them!" Usopp yelled, "Look there! A rowboat!"

Kia and Adele finished scrambling onto the deck, running over to the railing to get a good look, Nami just shaking her head with a smile on her face behind them.

"I see it!" Kia shouted back to the crew.

"It's Grandpa!" Adele shouted happily. She ran over to the ladder, and pushed it over the railing so she could climb down.

"Hey wait," Usopp called, chasing after her. "Don't go alone!"

Kia watched as Usopp helped Adele get even closer along the rocky shore they were anchored by. As soon as they were as far as they could go, Adele started yelling. "Grandpa! Grandpa! Over here!" and waving her arm frantically.

Kia looked out to the little rowboat, seeing Luffy sprawled out in the bottom, and giving a sigh of relief. The old man was smiling and waving back, but Shryer looked like he had seen a ghost. He was staring ahead like he couldn't believe his eyes, and Kia started wondering what had happened to them.

The crew helped them aboard, and tied off the rowboat to the railing at the back. Zoro picked up Luffy who was still sound asleep.

"You may as well take him to the kitchen," Kia said. "You know he'll wake up demanding food."

"Truer words were never spoken, Kia my dear," Sanji replied.

"Thank you so much!" the old man said, once Adele had calmed down a little. He scrutinized her face, making sure she was okay, and gave her a grin. "You even gave her clothes to wear!"

"Please sit, both of you, so I can make sure you get treated," Chopper said, and Adele tugged her Grandpa down, while Kia brought over a box for Chopper use for his instruments.

"Nami gave me her old clothes!" Adele said in excitement. "And Chopper is the best doctor ever, so I know you'll get better!"

"That doesn't make me happy, you jerk," Chopper said merrily, as he worked.

"He'll definitely fix you right up," Kia added with a smile.

"But, I've already been treated," Shryer said in confusion, looking at the bandages on his hands.

"I did what I could, but Chopper should still make sure you don't need anything else," she replied.

"There's something I need to tell you," the old man said, looking at Adele. "Remember all those years ago, how I pulled you from the river?"

"Of course Grandpa," Adele answered.

"And you told me of your brother, trying to save you before you were washed away?" he asked.

"I guess so…" she said slowly. "I don't really remember as well…"

"Oh, that's horrible," Usopp said quietly.

"Yes, but your brother never gave up, and worked and worked so that he could punish the man who ruined so many lives that day. He didn't know you were still alive, but now… you can be reunited!"

"What?!" Adele said in shock. The old man gestured over to Shryer. "This is Shryer Bascudo," he said, and Adele looked up in trepidation.

They all stopped and turned toward the kitchen, hearing a yell, followed by sobbing. "Oh, that's Luffy," Kia said as she got up, and ran to the kitchen, followed by everyone else.

Kia sat at the table next to Luffy, patting his back as he sobbed. "My hat…" he cried, so hard that he was getting the floor wet.

 _"_ _ _Is it just me, or is the air heavy in here?"__ Usopp whispered to Nami.

 _"_ _ _What did you expect?"__ she replied. _"_ _ _They just found out about each other after eight years!"__

Kia gave them both a look, seeing as Adele and Shryer were in the kitchen as well, and they looked contrite.

"My hat…" Luffy continued to cry, and Sanji tried to comfort him… sort of.

"Take it easy Luffy," he said. "We've looked all over for it. I know how you feel but, you'll have to forget it."

"There," Shryer said, and Kia turned, just in time to get a straw hat to her face.

"Whoa!" she said in awe. "You found Luffy's hat?!"

"What?!" Luffy said, the tears stopping as he looked up. He grabbed the hat from Kia, at once ecstatic at its return, and devastated by the shape it was in. The large hole in the top, with a tear all the way through the brim. "My hat!" he shouted.

"You said it was a treasure… I just happened to see it as I was walking by, so I grabbed it," Shryer explained.

"Wow, Shryer, that was very nice of you!" Kia said, turning to grin at him.

"You're such a nice guy!" Luffy added. "Thank you!" He turned to the navigator. "Nami! Fix my hat again!" he said, thrusting it at her.

"Sure, sure," she replied. "Just stop crying."

"I can't yet, I'm too happy," he replied. "Sanji! I'm hungry!" he yelled.

"I'll fix something," Sanji replied. "Go wait outside! The kitchen is too crowded!"

* * *

"I can't believe we are the first ones here," Nami said as she held up the log pose. "Although to be honest, I can't believe we got our hands on the real log pose for the race."

"Yeah, Grandpa was full of all sorts of surprises, wasn't he?" Kia answered with a smile.

"We're getting close!" Luffy shouted throughout the ship. "We win! We WIN!"

"300 million beri!" Sanji said with a smile. "Never thought we'd have that much to spend!"

"I guess Luffy can finally get that statue he's been wanting," Kia laughed.

"SHHH!" Nami hushed her. "Don't remind him!" She gave her a nudge.

Kia nudged her right back, leaning on the railing. "Check it out," she said, pointing to where the old man had finally cornered Shryer. "Told ya he'd talk some sense into him," she said smugly.

"Good thing we didn't bet on it," Nami mused. "But I'm glad. Adele wants all the family she can get, she just isn't sure what to say to him."

"Yeah, but she keeps trying," Kia responded. "Look," she pointed, as Adele was hiding at the staircase, peeking over at Shryer. "He thinks he's too bad and dangerous for her to be around, but she doesn't."

"They'll be fine," Nami predicted. "She'll wear him down."

"Marines!" came the shout suddenly from the crow's nest.

"What?!" Usopp and Luffy shouted from the stern, stopping their game to look behind them.

"They're the same ones that were chasing us the other day!" Usopp yelled back.

"Rudder, right full!" Nami yelled and Sanji rushed to obey, while she and Kia ran over to their guests.

"Sorry guys, but it's time to part ways!" Kia said rapidly, helping them to the stern.

"We had fun, but we can't take you with us, or you'll be criminals!" Nami explained as she helped to herd them forward.

"We understand," Grandpa said, sliding down the rope to the rowboat. Shryer grabbed Adele, and jumped down as well.

"I don't!" Adele yelled. "We'll tell them you rescued us, and everything will be fine!"

"They'll never believe us!" Usopp answered, as the crew gathered at the railing, looking down at the small boat. "We're pirates after all!"

"Which means we run from marines," Nami said with a smile. "You stay out of trouble now," she told Adele. "And remember, there's always something to live for, all right?"

"Bye! Take care! Be good!" the pirates called out to the little girl.

"Don't get those bandages wet!" Kia yelled to Shryer. "It was fun!"

"Remember to take the medicine I gave you!" Chopper yelled to Grandpa.

Luffy however, just stood there, looking at Shryer.

"You think you helped me?" Shryer finally asked, his face in a smirk. "I guess we'll never have our fight, will we? Now get out of here, pirate!"

"Yeah!" Luffy yelled back, his fist hitting the sky. Kia used a dagger to cut the rope, and the Going Merry took off with the wind at its back. Luffy and Adele waving widely. "BYE!" was heard as they lost sight of each other.

Zoro turned to Nami, a smirk on his face. "That was unexpected."

"What was?" she asked, depressed.

"You," he answered, looking confused, as Kia turned to him with big eyes and shaking her head. "I can't believe you just gave up 300 million beri that easily."

Kia backed up as Nami pounced on Zoro, her hands around his throat.

"And what should I have done?!" she yelled. "It's not like I had a choice!"

"Oh well," Luffy said as he walked up. "We still have lots of adventure just waiting for us!"

"He's right Nami my love," Sanji said, as he walked by. "But first we have to do something about these marines."

Nami slouched back down on the railing in a pout. "Why am I on this shabby ship with slack off pirates?" she muttered.

"Hey, rude," Kia protested.

"Get to work so we can outrun them and find the next island!" Nami yelled to the boys, and Sanji jumped up to obey.

"Yeah! Let's go find more adventure!" Luffy called. "We're on the way to becoming pirate king!"


	52. Chapter 52- The Cursed Holy Sword

So sorry, I know it's been awhile, I was just crazy busy with work! That's the holidays for you! But I am back on track now!

* * *

"I'll stay here too," Kia said, much to Luffy's disappointment and everyone's surprise. "Zoro said he'd help me with my escrima sticks."

"I wanna try too!" Luffy said for the twelfth time that day.

"After I learn, just like I promised," she replied for the twelfth time.

"Okay," Luffy replied, then turned to the others. "Let's go! I'm starving!"

"Don't forget to bring us back food!" Usopp called out as the rest of them headed away from the docks.

"This seems like a nice, relaxing island," Usopp commented to Zoro and Kia, after the others were out of sight.

"Yep," she replied, looking eagerly at Zoro.

"All right," he replied. "Usopp? You got her escrima sticks ready?" he asked.

"Yep," he said handing them over to Zoro. "Though these are just practice ones. We need harder wood for a better pair."

"They'll do for training," Zoro said, testing the sticks in a spin. "Thanks."

"Yeah! Thanks Usopp!"

"No problem," he replied. "I'm going to get started on some repairs."

"All right Kia, hold still," Zoro said as he held up the sticks, measuring their length against the width of her shoulders. "Perfect," he said, handing them to her. "We'll start with some basic swings for you to do reps."

Kia nodded, suddenly serious, but excitement still coming off her in waves. She focused as Zoro demonstrated what he wanted her to do.

The swings weren't difficult, but after a hundred her arms were limp as noodles, and the escrima sticks felt as heavy as one of Zoro's weights.

He hadn't said much, and looking over, Kia noticed that he was asleep, which had her shaking her head with a smile. He never said anything, but she knew he didn't sleep much at night, even when it wasn't his watch. Not to mention the fact that he kept himself aware, even during sleep so that he hardly ever achieved any deep sleep. So, he would need more sleep in order to function properly.

"Hey, Zoro!" She heard Usopp call from downstairs. "Hand me some of those planks, would ya?"

Kia moved over to the stack, careful to avoid waking Zoro. Several things hit her at once, as she noticed the snoring had stopped, and she found herself pulled backward, then heard a loud THWAK as she fell into Zoro's lap.

Looking up, she could see a large dagger embedded in the mast next to his face, thinking that if he hadn't moved her, it would have hit her.

"Th… thanks, Zoro," she said, suddenly out of breath. He looked down at her, and pulled the knife free as he stood. He looked in the direction that it had come from, and grabbed his swords as he walked off.

"Stay here," he murmured to her, moving quickly to the railing and jumping over the side.

"Hey, what…" Kia started, but he was already gone. Looking back to the stairs, she knew she only had a split second to decide, and she set off after Zoro. __After all, Usopp won't be alone long,__ she thought. __The others will be back soon.__

* * *

Kia followed him up a small path through the trees, wondering when he would say something. She knew he had to be aware she was following him, even as she tried to be stealthy, because he was always aware of what went on around him. But he made no move to speak or acknowledge her in any way, which she found odd.

Seeing him disappear around a corner, she thought that he would use this as a way to lose her, but he never did the expected, so she kept her pace the same, and tried not to make any noise. Coming closer, she could hear someone speak, but it most definitely wasn't Zoro.

"Thank you for coming. This way please."

She stopped as they came into view, and kept cover behind a tree. Zoro didn't respond, but as they turned around and started walking, he began to follow them and she wondered what she should do. He didn't turn at all, and Kia began to wonder again if he knew she was there.

Shrugging to herself, she decided to continue. __Crew members weren't suppose to go out alone on a new island, after all__ , she told herself. She began to follow, once again.

Before too long, they arrived at what looked like ancient ruins… with a large steel gate. Staying in the trees, Kia looked around, seeing men posted in front of the gates wearing white and blue uniforms, as well as several posted in higher positions around the perimeter.

The odd thing, was the building behind the gate looked much newer, as if someone had built a temple of some sort, in an ancient site. She heard the sound of the gate being shut, and saw the symbol of the marines on its face.

 _ _What is going on?__ she asked herself. __Why would Zoro willingly go into a marine base… out in the middle of nowhere?__

Kia started to feel uneasy, wondering what she had changed in order to have the crew going on these adventures that she didn't know. Thinking that perhaps she should have stayed on the ship after all, she decided to wait and see what would happen. If Zoro didn't come back out, she would eventually try to follow him in.

* * *

Kia guessed it was an hour or so when she heard the commotion. The marines were well organized, but even they couldn't send out a large group of men without making noise, not that they were trying to be quiet. They marched out of the steel doors with confidence, and Kia wondered what whoever they were going to see did, to deserve the visit.

Leading the group were two men, one taller and thin, the other quite rotund. The taller man was wearing some armor and some sort of helmet, though it didn't have a top, so that his very long, red hair could spike up from his head and continued in a ponytail down his back.

The shorter man, though still taller than all the others, had blond hair that he wore in a type of pompadour, with large mutton chop side burns that he had braided at the ends. They were an extremely strange duo, but it was obvious they were in charge. Following after them, stoic as always, was Zoro.

Kia had no idea what he was doing, but it was obvious that he was not a prisoner, since he still had his swords. She waited as the group passed by before moving to follow them.

"Hello, who are you?"

Kia spun around, seeing a much smaller and younger looking boy standing in front of the gate. She wanted to face palm at her carelessness in being seen. __Of course the ones leaving weren't the only people in the base!__ she groaned inwardly.

The boy looked to be about sixteen, but she knew looks could be deceptive. Seeing the sword at his side, she wasn't sure how to take him. He could most definitely be a threat, but with his freckles, shaggy hair, oversized shirt, and his marine cap turned sideways, he seemed more like a kid.

"I'm Kia," she replied, standing up fully, watching as the other men disappeared, and hoping she made the right decision. "I'm looking for my friend, Zoro."

"Oh, so does that mean you are part of the Straw hat crew?" he asked, showing no emotion.

"What?" she asked. "Be kind of silly to come to a marine base if I were," she said, trying to get a feel for him.

He finally smiled, though she still couldn't decipher it. "My name is Tohma," he said with a slight bow. "Please, come with me, Kia."

She glanced over at the gate to see several more marines. Knowing that she wouldn't win in a fight, and running may or may not be successful, she decided to see what they wanted. She didn't have a bounty, so she doubted they were going to kill her.

"All right," she said slowly, walking out of the bushes she had originally been hiding in. "Is Zoro coming back?" she asked as she stopped in front of him, though not close enough for him to grab her.

"He is," he replied, and Kia nodded, and stepped forward. Tohma turned and led her past the gate and into a compound that looked like a large scale dojo.

Once they reached the large center building, Kia could hear the calls of the men that were training. As they climbed the short staircase, she could see the marines running drills, all of them with katana type swords in their hands. She glanced around the large room, seeing what looked like a large stone altar on a raised dais. There was a tall, slender man standing there, who was obviously the leader.

"Master Saga," Tohma said in greeting with a bow. "This is Kia, of the Straw hat crew, a friend of Zoro's."

Kia glanced over at Tohma, but didn't correct his assumptions, since they were true.

Saga glanced down at Kia, and she felt defensive at his look of disbelief. "What?" she demanded.

"Zoro values strength," Saga said with a smirk. "If you are truly friends, what value does he give you?"

She smirked back, knowing that outwardly, it would seem he spoke the truth, but she had gotten to know Zoro as they traveled. "The strength of my ambition," she replied. "And my determination. I may still be learning," she said as she crossed her arms, "but those who train know it takes time to learn."

She nodded at the man as he seemed to be intrigued by her answer. "Zoro is training you?" he asked smugly.

"More like he is sharing what he knows," she replied. "It is up to me then to do something with the knowledge."

He nodded slightly, and spoke again. "And I will do the same. Zoro will not be returning to your crew. You can join him here and continue to train, or you may return to your friends to let them know to leave with out him."

"He decided this?" she asked. "Or did you?" She shook her head. "Not that it matters, our captain won't accept it."

"It is fact."

"I'd have to hear it from him, but even then, I wouldn't bet on it," she retorted, noticing the sneer coming across his face.

"Hey! Zoro!" came a yell from outside, and Kia smiled as she recognized her captain's voice.

"Speak of the devil…" she drawled, stepping back as the two men turned to the entrance.

She watched as Luffy and Usopp came in, Luffy's mouth opening in surprise and Usopp cowering with a squeal as they took in the large group of marines still running their drills. Luffy immediately started asking the men if they had seen Zoro, and Usopp spotted two familiar wanted posters, quickly tearing them down and hiding the evidence.

Luffy was getting agitated that no one would answer his questions, and Kia wasn't surprised as Tohma stepped over to where the two Straw hat members stood, his eyes wide.

"You're Straw Hat Luffy," he said, causing Luffy to turn and see him, and walk over.

"Yep," he answered. "Do you know a guy named Zoro? Or a girl named Kia?" he asked.

"Mr. Zoro?" Tohma replied. "He should be back soon. Miss Kia is over there," he answered.

Luffy and Usopp both turned, seeing Kia standing next to a tall man, and she waved at them like it was no big deal that they were all standing in a marine corps base.

"Then we'll just wait here for him!" Luffy declared. "Kia, we've looked forever for you two!" he yelled to her across the room.

"But what are they doing at a marine base?" Usopp asked in trepidation.

"Who cares?" Luffy said. "Kia's here, and Zoro is coming back, so everything is fine."

Tohma gave him a smile and waved his hand, causing the marines to stop their drill and back away, forming lines on either side of the room and standing at attention. Now there was nothing blocking them from Kia and the man she stood next to.

"It's hard to believe that you are worth 100 million beri," Saga said to Luffy.

"Oh yeah," Luffy replied. "but I am. You look like a swordsman," he said.

"Not look like, Mr. Luffy," Tohma explained. "He is the master of this dojo."

"Whoa! That sword you have is huge! So cool!" Luffy exclaimed, seeing the large sword strapped to Saga's back.

"You're strange, Mr. Luffy," Tohma said with a smile.

"Why?" Luffy asked in return.

Tohma turned back to Saga, asking, "Master, can I see if this truly is the man that defeated the warlord, Crocodile?"

"Very well," Saga answered. "I'll allow it."

Tohma bent forward in a bow, and came back up quickly with a swing of his sword. Luffy barely managed to dodge the three attacks, and looked at him in confusion.

"Hey!" he said. "If you want a fight, just say so!"

Tohma smiled again, and put his sword away. "Not many manage to dodge my attacks," he said with a grin.

"Hey!" Kia yelled as Saga pushed her forward, causing the others to turn and look.

"Playtime is over," Saga said. "You won't be seeing Zoro."

"What?" Kia demanded, trying to slow herself, but her shoes just slid over the stone floor.

"He won't be returning to you loser pirates, since he has already cut ties with you."

Luffy's face became hard. "What makes you say that?" he asked in challenge.

"Tohma," Saga called, "Stand back."

"Yes sir," Tohma replied, stepping forward to pull Kia out of the way with him.

The two leaders glared at each other, and Kia felt something sizzle in the air.

"You wanna fight?" Luffy asked, and Saga's expression didn't change.

"Here we go then," Luffy said, rearing back. "Gum gum pistol!" he called, shooting forth punch after punch, which Saga merely tilted slightly to avoid. "Gum gum whip!" His leg shot out, missing Saga, but bringing the marines in the right side of the room off their feet. They all stood back up with their swords out.

"I'm sorry!" Luffy called. "I meant to get only HIM."

"Are you ready?" Saga asked, and Luffy became serious once more.

"Come on then!" he replied.

Saga drew his sword, and Kia could see that his right arm was hanging limply at his side. __I wonder what happened?__ she thought. She could see that he still had his arm, so there must be another reason he couldn't use it.

The sword had an eerie, green glow, and Kia shuddered, swearing that Saga's eyes looked demonic.

"Ew, what's that?" Luffy asked. "Spooky! What a weird sword!" He readied himself for the fight, saying, "You know what? I don't like you."

"You have no idea what this sword can do," Saga said in a low voice. "Can't you hear it? It's thirsting for your blood!" Kia practically fell over, as she could hear mean and terrible things in her mind, causing her to grip the sides of her head, covering her ears in an attempt to make it stop.

"Kia?" Luffy asked in concern, before backing up quickly in order to avoid being struck.

"Luffy!" Usopp called.

"Miss Kia?" Tohma asked, helping her stay up, and following the fighting duo into the courtyard to watch.

Kia followed as best she could, feeling the sword still, but sensing that its focus was not on her. Luffy and Saga avoided each others' blows, and Tohma couldn't contain his awe.

"You are just like every other pirate," Saga said in disdain to Luffy.

"I'm the future Pirate King!" Luffy declared with a smirk.

"Pirate king?" Tohma asked, and Kia nodded, no longer hearing the sword as Saga had it hanging down as he spoke.

"The man who conquers the Grand Line," Kia explained. "King of the Seas."

"You fool," Saga said, though he looked as if he didn't care. "You may as well throw your life away as follow that stupid dream."

"Say what you want," Luffy replied. "It was something I decided long ago."

"A dream…" Tohma muttered, and Kia wondered what was going on with him.

"You're pathetic," Saga said. "But if you are the sacrifice, you may still be useful. If not, you die here and now!"

Luffy attacked, and they were back at it, Luffy doing all he could to avoid the sword that Saga carried. Finally he cried, "Demon Fire!" and sent a shock wave at Luffy that immobilized him, and carried him over a cliff.

"Luffy!" Usopp and Kia called out, running to the edge.

"I thought he'd do better," Tohma said, causing Usopp to shake with worry at the idea of fighting for his life.

"I would do anything for my friend and captain!" Usopp called. "Come on Kia!" he yelled, jumping off after Luffy. Kia went to follow, but was stopped by a hand grabbing hers. She turned, seeing Saga smirking at her as he held her from leaving.

* * *

Kia walked along with Tohma, keeping quiet as she observed. Zoro walked in front of them with Saga, and she was fuming at him. He had barely glanced at her, and was acting like she didn't even exist! Not to mention, that she still heard that creepy sword, though not as loud now for some reason. She didn't like any of this.

They came to a small clearing, where a pool of water was. Saga pointed to a round structure, the opening above the surface of the water. Zoro moved forward towards it, and pulled out three spheres from his belt.

"Here?" he asked, glancing back at Saga, who nodded. Then Zoro released the spheres to fall down the structure. Kia guessed it was some kind of well.

"Thank you Zoro," Saga said with a smile.

"Any one could have gotten them for you," he said.

"No," Saga replied. "It had to be you." As soon as he had spoken, he hunched over as if in pain.

"Master!" Tohma called out.

"Saga?!" Zoro cried, coming closer. "I thought you said it was caused by the balls?" he asked. "I thought you would get better once they were gone?!"

"That's right!" Saga replied, a bit overexcited. "There is no pain! I am shaking with happiness!"

The man was obviously lying, but Kia didn't call him out on it. She was too busy trying to catch Zoro's eye, and hopefully figure out a plan of escape. Zoro didn't look at her however.

"Roronoa Zoro, you are one of us now," the large round man muttered.

"I saw the infamous three sword style," the thin man spoke up. "I hope to practice with you sometime."

"That'd be great!" Tohma added. "I wanna practice with Mr. Zoro too!" He began walking away, leading Kia to follow after Saga. "Oh, and by the way," he said, turning back. "Master knocked off Mr. Luffy earlier," he said. "but you don't count yourself with them any more, right?"

Neither he nor Kia saw the look that Zoro was glaring at their retreating figures.

* * *

After returning to the dojo, Kia remained outside, feeling strange. She had been having weird thoughts, about fighting and blood, and … death, that she couldn't seem to get rid of. Hoping to clear her head, she moved into the open, thinking she would do more of the thrusts that Zoro had shown her earlier on the Going Merry.

Before she could begin, she noticed Zoro come back outside, looking around, and seeing her, come over. She smiled in relief, glad that they were finally going to talk.

"Kia, you should leave," he announced, before he even made it close to her.

"What?" she asked. "I'm not going to just leave you here alone."

"I'm not alone," he replied. "Saga is an old friend, and we made a promise years ago. I'll rejoin the crew once I finish."

Kia's eyes narrowed, as Zoro didn't even give her a chance to speak, he just turned around and started walking back to the dojo. "I'm worried," she said, and he stopped, though he didn't turn. "I'm having strange thoughts, wanting to fight all the time." She shook her head, thinking that he probably thought she was acting strange. "I'm not going to the others like that. Besides, friends help each other, not leave them to fight their own battles."

"I don't need your help to fight," he retorted, and walked away. She was a little angry at his words, but in truth he was right. He didn't need her in a fight, she would only be a liability.

 _ _Regardless,__ she thought, f _ _riends don't leave each other alone.__

"Kia?"

She turned, seeing Tohma coming to her. "Hello again Tohma," she replied.

"Come on, Saga is speaking to all of us. We'll have time for practice afterwards," he said, gesturing for her to go with him.

"All right," she said, putting away her sticks. They walked to the dojo, and Tohma led her to the side of the building, as all the other marines formed lines in front of the stage. Saga sat there, on a massive stone chair, that made Kia think of a throne, with Zoro standing near him off to the opposite side of where she stood.

Saga began speaking not long afterward, about true justice, and fighting the evil around them. She could feel herself wanting to agree, but she fought the feeling, though it was harder the more Saga spoke. By the end, when he spoke of power being the true justice- power to save people from their enemies, she was nodding along.

 _ _Power- to save my family,__ she thought. __He can help me!__

* * *

Zoro felt like rolling his eyes. Saga was never one for fancy speeches, but he was their leader now, and he supposed that he knew what his men needed.

However, as the speech continued, Zoro grew suspicious. __Since when had Saga decided that true justice meant power? And divinity? What a joke__ , he thought.

That was when all the men started hollering in agreement, and as he looked around and saw their blank stares, he began to feel even more wary. Kia's words from earlier rang in his head, and he looked over, just as she shouted out. He watched as she looked confused, shaking her head, then holding it, as though it pained her.

 _ _I'm having strange thoughts, she had said,__ he remembered, and he looked over at Saga again, and the strange light that seemed to emanate from his sword. __Something isn't right.__

In order to get to the bottom of it all, he questioned Saga about where he had gotten the sword. Saga gave vague answers about being chosen, and Zoro was even more convinced that something was wrong with that sword.

He finally got his chance to investigate, as Saga met with some of his men, leaving the sword on the throne. Zoro walked forward, intent on picking it up to look at it. The moment he touched it, he felt the power, and the curse. It wasn't like his own Kitetsu… this was much different, and evil.

He pulled his hand back, staring to make sure it was all right. Glaring at the sword still resting there, he turned to walk outside. He needed to think, and come up with a new plan… to get Saga away from that sword.

Walking outside, he could see Tohma working with Kia. He was going slow, giving her the opportunity to feel what hitting with her sticks felt like, so she could get used to the feeling. He felt bad for a moment, knowing he could be helping her much more, but shook the feeling off. He had decided from the beginning that she would set the pace of her training, that way, it would be in her hands how strong she got.

He stood there for some time, contemplating the situation he was in, trying to find a way to help his friend. He wasn't one for complicated plans, he just did what needed to be done. And in this case, all he could come up with, was to break the cursed sword.

"Mr. Zoro?"

He glanced to his left, seeing Tohma had taken a seat nearby on the stairs. He looked out at the yard, seeing Kia doing her acrobatics, or whatever she called it. "Yes?" Zoro replied.

"Do you want to know Master Saga's dream?" Tohma asked.

"I'll ask him myself," Zoro replied.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Seven Star Sword," Tohma warned. "Tonight it will awaken from a long sleep, and it will take a strong man as its first prey. In other words, a sacrifice."

"That would be me," Zoro answered, unamused at Saga's lack of subtlety.

"Yes," Tohma said with a small smile. "You did what we could not, what needed to be done."

"And now I'll be sacrificed," Zoro said wryly.

Tohma gave a shrug. "I thought Mr. Luffy would do, but he disappointed me."

"Don't underestimate him," Zoro quipped back. "He's the type of guy that will exceed any expectations." Zoro started down the stairs towards Kia, noticing that she had stopped and was holding her head. "You'll need to read people better if you want to be a true swordsman." He stopped at the ground, as Kia stood straight again. Perhaps she had merely overdid it.

"So, what are you going to do Mr. Zoro?" Tohma asked.

"That's up to Saga," Zoro replied, still facing Kia, his back to Tohma. "I put my life in his hands."

"I see," Tohma answered. "What kind of person is he really, our master?"

Zoro felt a pang for Saga, his men would never ask that if he had been the man he was before. Before the cursed sword… "He is the man you believe in… A swordsman," Zoro answered. __I'll make sure of it,__ he added to himself.

He started towards Kia again, and Tohma called "Wait!" He stopped, but not because of Tohma calling him, but because Kia had started walking towards them.

"Unlike the others, I haven't lost my will completely. But soon… even that will be gone. It's what I wanted, but I am still kind of sad. Before that happens, Mr. Zoro… will you do me a favor?"

Zoro watched as Kia passed by him, worried, but she just looked tired. "Any time Tohma," Zoro replied with a smirk.

Tohma smiled, and attacked, and Zoro moved back to defend, their fight starting before Kia had even sat on the steps.

"Even if I die fighting you, I won't regret it!" Tohma said as he swung again and again. "I became Master's apprentice and I did become stronger! But this? This isn't my own strength! I'm not fighting for justice as I dreamed! If I keep going like this… I'll die as plain murderer! And I don't… want… that!" He punctuated his last words with a strike with all his might.

Zoro blocked the swing, and pushed forward, breaking the hold. "Don't talk while you're fighting! Just think about winning!"

He could hear Kia yell at them to stop their pointless fight, but they kept at it, measuring each others' ability. "Not bad Tohma!" he called with a smile.

"We're only getting started!" Tohma called back, as their swords clashed again. They grinned at each other, and in that one moment of quiet, they could both hear Kia gasp.

Looking over, and seeing Saga walking her forward towards them, had Zoro's eyes narrowing.

"Having fun Tohma?" Saga asked. "Did you ask Zoro to play with you?"

"Master?" Tohmas asked, confused at the look on Kia's face, as well as his master's. He grimaced as Saga moved the Seven Star Sword from Kia toward him.

"Playtime is over," Saga said, and Zoro watched as Tohma's face went from struggling, to look exactly like Kia's… void of anything.

"Saga!" Zoro called. "Kia? Tohma?" he yelled, wanting them to look at him, to see anything in their eyes.

"Interfere… and they die," Saga warned, and Zoro glared daggers at him, but doesn't move. Saga smirked in triumph. "Tohma, Kia, get to your positions."

"Yes," they respond, and Zoro's eyes go wide, as Saga lowers the sword, and they both start walking away.

"Sword of justice," Tohma mumbles.

"Save them all," Kia mutters.

"Justice is power!" Tohma says as he brandishes his sword.

"Power to save them!" Kia yells, pulling out her sticks, and they run off, away from the dojo and out the gate.

"No! Kia!" Zoro yells after her, but Saga's sword blocks him from moving. He glares back at his friend. "Saga…" he accuses. "You son of - she's not a fighter, she'll get hurt!"

"I've given her power, just as she wanted," he replied unconcerned.

"You don't even realize what you're doing, do you?" Zoro demanded. "What about Tohma? You're making him do something more painful than death itself!"

"They're weak," Saga said disdainfully. "In body and mind. That's why they need my power."

"Weak?! You're wrong!" Zoro yelled. "They have strong minds and pure dreams- just as you used to be. Even that cursed sword couldn't completely take them!"

Saga smirked. "Oh no? Awfully quick of your friend to join us…"

Zoro sneered. "And how long before you accepted the sword?! You're not the Saga I used to know. A girl barely trained lasted longer than you!"

Saga's fists clenched, but he remained calm. "No, I am not the old me. And I am about to be reborn." He looked up at the sky, where the huge red moon was reaching its peak. "That's why you're here, right? To help me achieve my __new__ dream!

"Can't you go back to your old self?" Zoro asked, even as he readied his swords. "Saga!" he pleaded.

Saga merely smiled, and began a relentless attack. Zoro evaded, defending when needed, but he didn't attack, not until he was certain his friend could not be reasoned with.

"Saga, you fool! Wake up! Don't let that cursed sword control you!" His teeth gritted against his sword handle, as Saga laughed. "Fine, then I'll break that sword in two!" He pulled both swords in his arms over his shoulder, racing forward. "Tiger Hunt!"

Zoro attacked, again and again, looking for an opening, but Saga continued to evade out of his reach. Finally, he was faster than Saga, releasing an Oni Giri attack with satisfaction. The dust cleared, and the green lit sword just stared back at him. __What?! That should have worked!__ he told himself.

"Now do you see?" Saga asked. "You don't have what it takes to defeat my Seven Star Sword, Zoro. It wants your blood. Mystic snake fang attack!" he yelled, as a wicked looking mist came towards Zoro from the sword.

Attack after attack, Zoro repelled the sword away, but eventually, the sword struck his shoulder. He kept up his defense, though another snuck past his guard, and got him on his side. He pushed through the pain, as the assault continued. Small stabs over and over, until his limbs were useless and he fell over.

He looked up, as Saga kicked his sword away from his reach, and stood above him. "I was foolish once, and lost the use of my right arm, and my future as a swordsman." Zoro remembered the accident, he had thought that Saga had died… saving him. "But now, I have the Seven Star Sword, and when we become one, I will gain all its powers! The world I seek will soon follow, a world of true darkness!" Zoro knew now that his friend was overtaken by the sword, he knew he needed to destroy it.

"Saga…" Zoro said uneasily, as he stood on shaky feet. "Our dream… and the promise we made, was nothing like that!" he yelled, striking with his last sword.

"You fool!" Saga shouted, blocking easily and striking Zoro again, causing him to fall. "You cannot kill me! Now get up! I want your blood!"

Saga stopped, and stared at the sky. Zoro looked up, seeing a bright light covering the island.

"What?!" Saga yells. "What is this?" He weakens, falling forward to one knee. "The moon will soon reach its peak, I am so close!" He face tightens in anger. "It must be Maya!" He roars in anger, and Zoro watches as the green fire of the sword consumes him, and suddenly he is gone.

Struggling, he pushes himself up. He needed to get moving, to wherever Saga went. He needed to stop him.

* * *

"What's going on?" Nami asked, as the light from the sphere went out. Looking across the valley, she could see the lights from the other towers were gone as well.

With a sudden yell, a man jumped out of the bushes, a sword in his hand, and she barely jumped back in time, brandishing her climatact to avoid his strike, as she yelped.

"Nami?!" Chopper asks, as he ran after them, throwing a rumble ball into his mouth.

She pushed against the strength of the swordsman, though he seemed so young, he was quite strong. She could hear someone running towards them, and she did everything she could to hold out until then, hoping that it was Chopper.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Chopper yelled as he caught up. Tohma pushed Nami away, turning towards the new threat, with his sword ready.

"Hiya!"

Nami pulled her climatact out just barely keeping the attack from hitting her. She glared across the weapons, and did a double take.

"Kia!?" she yelled. "What are you __doing?!"__

Her friend didn't answer, just attacked again and again, and Nami could see that what little training she has done has helped tremendously, and she worried a little about not hurting Kia. She wasn't acting like herself, and was so quiet… attacking her friends… just like Zoro earlier.

Before she could do anything, Nami was surprised as Tohma attacked her again, and Kia turned to run for the tower.

"Chopper! She's not herself!" she yelled, worried that Chopper hadn't seen her blank eyes. She feinted left, distracting Tohma, and Chopper came behind him, hitting with his powerful hoof attack. Nami panted, getting her breath back.

"Kia!" she panted. "Ran for the tower!" Chopper looked to make sure she was okay, and changed to his jumping point, scaling the tower quickly to catch up with Kia. He barely caught up to her, right in front of the gem she was trying to get close enough to attack, though it looked like it was paining her. He tackled her, pinning her down as she struggled against him.

"Kia? What's happening?" he asked her, changing to his heavy point in order to keep her down. Nami joined them at the top of the tower, just as the sphere cracked into pieces.

Kia thrashed a moment more in his arms, and then went still. Nami glanced from Chopper to Kia, then to the sphere with a look of bewilderment. She could tell Chopper was just as worried as she was.

"Let's get back to the others," he said quietly, and Nami nodded. He picked Kia up, holding her gently, as they began running back to the village.

* * *

Kia woke up with the mother of all headaches. Looking around, she could see Chopper crying as he ran to hug her. Everyone looked relieved that she seemed okay, and Nami gazed into her eyes… just to be sure.

Zoro looked injured, but he was playing it off, as usual.

"Kia? You all right?" Usopp asked her.

"No, not really…" she muttered. "I mean, I feel okay, but being taken control of by a sword is pretty… weird."

"You remember what happened?" Nami asked.

Kia winced. "Yeah… uh, sorry about that."

Nami smirked. "No problem, but I should have told you that attacking me has a pretty steep fine…"

Kia chuckled, knowing that Nami wasn't really joking, and she'd be in debt to her friend forever now. But it was also Nami's way of ensuring that her friends stayed by her.

Without further ado, Luffy declared it time to set sail, so Kia moved to say goodbye to Tohma. He had been decent to her after all, and had even given her a few training pointers. Both Tohma and Saga tried to apologize, but she simply waved it off.

"It wasn't your fault," she told Saga. "I'm just glad that its over, and Zoro has his friend back."

Saga smiled at her, giving her a nod. "Keep training Kia," he replied. "You have potential."

"Thank you, master Saga," she said with a smile and a wave, heading with the others to the Going Merry. The farewells were short but heartfelt, and she waved from the railing with Nami and Sanji as the ship departed.

"That was fun!" Luffy called, even as his stomach made a loud rumble. "Sanji!" he bellowed. "I'm hungry!"

"The villagers gave us plenty of food," Sanji said, pointing to a large pile of food surrounding the mast. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cheered about feasting, and pounced on the goodies.

"Kia, come eat!" Luffy called in between mouthfuls. "You need food to feel better!"

Kia smiled, but stayed where she was, enjoying the sea breeze on her face.

"Zoro!" Luffy called again. "Come eat!"

Zoro didn't move either, and Kia wondered if he would want to talk about it at some point. Her instincts wanted her to chew him out, but as she thought about it… it was simply who he was- helping his friends with no other thought.

She turned to go towards him, when the ship rocked wildly, sending her toppling over. "Kia my sweet, are you all right?" Sanji asked, having caught her before she face planted on the deck.

"Yeah, thanks Sanji," she replied. "What was that?" They all made their way to the railing to see a creature trying to cuddle up to the Merry.

"It's a huge hippo!" Usopp yelped.

"No, it's a hippo rhino!" Chopper corrected loudly. "He says that the Merry saved his life, and now he's in love with her!"

"Whaaat?" everyone asked him.

"Wait, when did we save his life?" Usopp questioned.

"And why attack us then?!" Nami yelled.

The hippo rhino trumpeted, and Robin calmly said, "That sounded like a mating call."

Kia looked perplexed. "So… it's doing some sort of mating ritual? Like a proposal?" she asked. Zoro scoffed at her, even as the hippo rhino cuddled the ship again, causing it to rock mercilessly.

He looked at her in consideration, and Kia stuck her tongue out at him. "What were you guys doing while I was gone?" he complained to the others, and Luffy started laughing.

"Onward!" Luffy ordered. "Full speed to our next adventure!"

The crew did what they could to move forward, though the hippo rhino made it difficult.

"This is worse than the marines chasing us!" Usopp exclaimed.


	53. Chapter 53- Long Ring Long Land

**A/N:** **So I know it has been forever, but I've been working on fixing all the previous chapters into 3rd person point of view. I'm not quite finished, but I decided to just go ahead and post the next chapter, because its not fair to you guys for me to make you wait when I already have it ready to go. Just know, that once I finish, we'll be back to a regular posting schedule, but until then, it's iffy.**

 **I've got about the first 30 chapters done, so there's about 14 left to fix.**

 **Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The scream was shrill and the members of the Straw Hat pirate crew all woke in a start at the sound.

"Whaasat?" Chopper asked sleepily, as Usopp gasped, bolting upright next to him.

"Is there a killer? What happened?!" he demanded.

"Is everyone all right?" Zoro asked. The moon was out but didn't provide much light as he looked around the glowing embers of what had once been their campfire, looking at each his comrades.

"Don't worry ladies, I'll protect you!" Sanji said as he jumped up, alert.

"Calm down," Nami groused. "It was just Kia," she added, reaching over to shake her and help her friend wake up.

"Kia?" Luffy asked, as he came over. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, looking as she tossed and turned on the sand, and he reached down to pick her up in a hug and holding her still, wanting to make the look of pain on her face go away.

Nami sat up now, on her blanket, sure that they wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon. "She has nightmares," she told the others.

"Pretty regularly too," Robin added, "though she has said that they are getting better."

Sanji looked thoughtful as he sat back down on his own blanket, watching as Usopp added more wood to their fire. "This is why she is usually able to keep me company in the early mornings?" he asked. "She always just said she didn't need much sleep."

"I asked her why she was so tired the other day, and she said she had stayed up reading," Chopper said, upset.

"To be fair, doctor," Robin said, giving him a small smile. "Once she wakes, she usually does read, so as not to disturb us."

Luffy didn't speak, but his hold on Kia tightened, as she had woken up panting and had gripped him like she was worried he'd disappear.

Kia listened to those around her, knowing that though she had sworn the girls to secrecy, her secret was now out. The worst part was, she had actually thought she was getting over it. Ever since Navarone, she had been sleeping fairly well, with only a sporadic nightmare. But this one, had by far been the worst.

She gave a sigh, letting her grip loosen on Luffy, and he moved to set her back down, sitting beside her and holding her hand. "Kia?" he asked, worriedly. "What happened?"

Kia rubbed her other hand over her face, trying to get rid of the queasy feeling the nightmare gave her. "Just a nightmare," she said. "Sorry to wake you all up."

"Tell us," Luffy demanded.

Kia looked at him, uncertain, and Nami spoke up. "It's not a bad idea," she said, giving Kia a look. She had been trying to get Kia to tell her about the nightmares since she learned of them.

"It will help," Chopper added in, coming over to cuddle next to Kia on her other side. "You don't have to go through it alone, Kia."

She sighed, and looked around, all of her friends looking at her expectantly, so she decided to go ahead, and tell them the story. After all, they had all shared their own with her, even though they didn't know that she already knew what they went through before they met her. _Well, except for Robin,_ she thought. _She hasn't said anything, but I'll get her trust soon._

"Okay, but let's get the fire going, and breakfast started," Kia said. "And feel free to do anything else as I talk, it's kind of a long story."

"All right!" Luffy cheered. "Kia tells the best stories!" he said, even as he patted her back.

"You may not like this one as much," she muttered.

She started by telling them of landing on Drum island, suddenly away from her sisters, and not knowing how it had happened. Of finding herself in the mountains, in the snow in her shorts and t-shirt, passing out and how she woke to find herself in Zachary's home, having been rescued.

"Oh, I wish I had known, I would have thanked him for rescuing you," Luffy said seriously.

"What?" Kia asked, stopping in confusion.

"It's my job as your brother, to thank someone who saved you," Luffy said, turning his head to look at her. "Next time we go to that island, remind me, so I can."

"Uh… okay," she said. "But I don't know if he'll want to be thanked for it," she added.

"Why not?" Chopper asked.

"Well, it turned out badly for him," she said sadly. She continued, telling them of meeting Judith, and hearing that Zachary had gone to King Wapol and begged for her to be seen by a doctor, how he refused to leave, and eventually had been thrown in jail with Dalton.

"That man went to a lot of trouble to help you, Kia," Usopp said in surprise.

"Yeah," she replied. "I always felt bad, because I barely knew him, and once he got out of jail, he didn't want anything to do with me."

"Why?" Nami asked. "That seems strange after risking so much for you. Was he mad about being in jail?"

"No, not really," she answered. "You see, Judith was his best friend…" she continued her story, telling about going on adventures with Judith, spending almost every day with her, and becoming close with her. She told how Judith had managed to get Dr. Kureha to come help her when she had broken her leg, and had told the carpenter in town about it, and had him make crutches for her.

Chopper listened happily, glad that Kia had had such a wonderful friend, and wondered why they hadn't met her. He stopped suddenly as his memory finally put the pieces together, and he realized where Kia's broken leg had come from. He remembered going with Doctorine to take the cast off her leg. She had been staying with Dalton, and he had remembered her sadness that hung around her like a cloud, though he didn't know why.

He looked up at Kia, feeling absolutely awful, and he took his arm from hers, sitting dejectedly next to her, no longer cuddling.

Kia continued her story, looking down to her left and seeing Chopper with his head down, and felt bad for telling such a sad story, thinking it was obviously affecting him.

She hesitated a little, once she got to the part of meeting Blackbeard, and how he had shot Judith, and burned down her house. Her friends gasped, and Luffy's hand tightened on hers, and she could see the anger on their faces change to sadness as she told of how she had tried to save her friend, and failed.

Kia looked up, and saw Zoro looking back at her. He gave her an inquisitive look and a nod, and she steeled herself before continuing. "That's not the end of it," she said hesitantly.

"It's not?" Luffy asked in surprise.

"No… uh, we saw Blackbeard again."

"What?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"When?" Sanji asked, thinking back.

"At Mocktown," she said quietly.

"The huge guy, at the bar," Zoro said as he had before. "With the pies."

"Let me get this straight," Nami said, rubbing her head. "This is the guy that Ace is chasing, right?" she asked, and Kia nodded. "SO! Not only does he destroy the island, he kills your friend! And then you see him again, and he comes chasing after Luffy for his bounty... and you don't think to TELL US THIS?!"

"Uh… yes?" Kia replied, worried about the anger on Nami's face.

"I get it," Luffy said calmly, and they all whirled to him.

"I thought you'd be the most angry here," Nami said in surprise.

"I wish you had told us Kia, because then we could have kicked his butt! But… I'm not worried about it. Ace promised he was going to get him, so he will," he nodded firmly at her.

Sanji spoke up next. "And that's why you wanted to leave the crew," he said quietly, staring at the fire. "You didn't want anyone else to die." Kia nodded. "But Kia, my sweet, you also have to believe in us. Alone, we can't do everything, but together?" he said, giving her a smile. "We can handle anything that comes."

Zoro gave the chef a look, but turned back to Kia with a smirk. "Training and becoming stronger will also help. Feeling in control will stop you from feeling weak."

"That's true," Robin added, and Kia turned to look at her. "I'm wondering, do you have a sketch of Judith? I'm curious to see her."

Kia shook her head. "I haven't been able to draw her yet."

Robin nodded sagely. "I would suggest that you do. Not only to have it for when you are remembering her, but also I believe it will help to change your guilt into grief. Then you may be able to process it better."

Kia thought about that, and eventually nodded. "So is that what the nightmares are then?" Robin asked. "Reliving it all?"

"Sort of," Kia said, embarrassed. "I do relive it, but there is always something that makes it worse. Judith cursing me as she dies, telling me it's all my fault. Zachary trying to kill me for getting his friend killed. Dalton kicking me out, or Kureha not treating me, so I end up with a limp." Usopp snorted, and she smiled briefly. "Blackbeard killing Ace, or actually recognizing me, and killing all of you…" she muttered.

"Hey."

Kia turned back to look at Luffy.

"I said I would protect you, right?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Then I will, I promise. From Blackbeard, or pirates, or marines, or monsters! We're family, right?!"

"Yeah," she said again, though she was smiling this time.

"We all are!" he said loudly, looking around at his crew. "And we protect each other, right?"

"Right!" they all answered, except Robin who merely looked thoughtful.

"Right," he said again with a nod. "Sanji! Breakfast time! I'm starving!"

* * *

"I know it's a little choppy right now, but I still think you can do it Kia," Sanji said, handing her the tray. She could feel how much lighter it was compared to other days, and smiled back at Sanji.

"I'm definitely going to do it today Sanji," she said, moving her left arm around her back, and starting out of the kitchen with the tray of food. Coming out the door and over to the stairs, she heard Usopp call out.

"Careful Kia, the waves are making it difficult today! Take your time!"

She smiled at the encouragement, and at hearing Luffy cheering her on in the background. Once stable on a step, she glanced over, and seeing Chopper there as well, looking sad, she made a mental note to talk to him later. He had been avoiding her for the past two days, and she had no idea what was going on.

Kia listened to Usopp and took her time, making her way down the stairs, wobbling a little, but feeling much better than she had previously. Her training was obviously helping- the extra strength helping to hold the tray steady as she made her way down the steps. She grinned as her foot landed on the deck, and the boys cheered, then gasped, and laughed good naturedly as she fell over.

Looking up, Kia noted she was sprawled in front of Zoro, who was sleeping against the mast. His eye peeked open and he smirked at her.

"Almost got it Kia," he said, and she grinned. He had recently gone back to calling her Kia after using her full name for awhile, and it still made her happy to hear it. "Give the tray back to Curly Brow, and come back for training."

Kia jumped up, not discouraged in the slightest. She walked back up the stairs, meeting Sanji at the railing, as he had come out with Robin's and Nami's food. He took the tray from her fluidly, and moved over to deliver his own. Kia went back down the stairs, almost tripping again in her haste, but made it safely back to Zoro.

He was standing, and he handed Kia her escrima sticks as she walked up. "Hey Luffy!" he called. "Feel like helping Kia train today?"

"YEAH!" Luffy cheered, jumping over to them. "Are we playing dodge?" he asked.

"Close," Zoro said, looking back at Kia. "I guess we'd call this block, instead of dodge," he said with a smirk.

"So use my sticks to block?" she asked in clarification.

"Yes," he replied. "Use the same swings you've been practicing. Dodging is for when you can't block. Blocking should be your first choice."

"Oy!" Sanji called as he came closer. "Dodging is an essential skill to have muscle head!"

"Blocking is much more important!"

"And if she loses her weapon? What then?"

"Blocking is more powerful! Dodging is weaker!"

"Whaat?! You wanna go?!"

Luffy laughed at their argument, and Usopp smirked. "Well, we need to see both to judge," he said. "Ready Luffy?" he asked. "We'll need a gatling."

"You got it!" Luffy said. "Gum-gum Gatling!" he called, and Sanji and Zoro stopped fighting immediately to block and dodge Luffy's attacks. Once Luffy stopped, they turned to each other, ready to fight again when Kia yelled.

"You're both right!"

They stopped and looked over at her. "You're right," she said again. "I need to block, and dodge. There's a time and a place for each, right?" she asked, and mulishly, they both eventually nodded. "Okay then, perhaps if I alternate between blocking and dodging? Ready Luffy?" she asked, not giving them time to answer. "Go!"

Hours later, Kia and Luffy were stopped by Nami yelling out, "Hey, you're getting pretty good with those sticks!"

Kia looked up at the railing where she stood. "Yeah? Go get your staff, and let's have a spar!" she called.

"No way!" Nami replied with a laugh. "Besides, Sanji said to call you all for lunch!"

"FOOD!" Luffy hollered, grabbing Kia and stretching his arm to the rail. He shot them up, and Kia yelled as they sailed over the ship and into the water behind it.

"Man overboard!" came the shout from the ship as they fell, and Kia gripped Luffy tightly to ensure he wouldn't drown.

After being helped onto the ship, Kia laid on the deck and panted.

"Sorry Kia," Luffy groaned from beside her.

"No problem," she replied. "I'm just glad I was there to keep you from drowning."

"Hey, yeah, Kia!" Usopp pointed out. "You saved Luffy's life just now."

"That's true…" she said looking over at Luffy. "You know what that means…"

Luffy pouted. "I have to get water for your shower…" he mumbled.

"And?" she asked.

He gave her a petulant look. "Not the jacket!" he said.

"Yep!" she laughed, heading for her room to get it.

* * *

"You know you are adorable when you pout, right?" she asked Luffy as she tightened the straps on the life jacket.

"I hate this thing," he said grumpily.

"I know, but that will teach you not to go shooting off into the water," she replied. "And if you do, this thing will help you stay afloat until we can get there."

"Hmph," he grumbled.

"Well, I know one thing that will cheer you up," she said with a smile, and pulling him with her. "It's still lunch time."

He grinned suddenly and started running. "Food food food!"

* * *

Later that day, Kia spent some time with her sketch book, trying Robin's suggestion of drawing Judith. She knew she was a good artist, but there was some sort of block that prevented her from drawing her friend. Eventually she just sketched out Judith's eyes, and the look they had when she smiled. It wasn't much, but it made her feel a little better.

Looking over as she heard Nami call to unfurl the sails, Kia noted that the waves had become much larger than they had been even minutes before.

"What's going on?" Usopp called. "Can't we even have one day to rest?"

"I'm afraid it's back to work," Nami replied. "These waves are a little too strange for comfort!"

Kia wasn't certain what was coming, but if Nami said strange, she should expect the worst. Heading downstairs, she put away her drawing supplies, and headed back up to help out.

As she made it back to the deck, she was surprised to see the boys were all rowing as fast as they could, and the sails were furled again. Looking behind the ship, and expecting Marines, her mouth fell open at the sign of a giant wave heading for the ship.

"There's something in the water!" Robin called above her, and Kia glanced up to the crow's nest. "It may be debris? But it looks large!"

Kia ran to the stern, looking back as best she could. "They look like some kind of animal! Like… Sea monkeys!" she shouted over her shoulder. She gasped as she saw another ship being sucked in to the wave.

"Row!" she heard Usopp yell, and the ship lurched forward.

Once the wave crashed, Kia was glad to see that they were far enough ahead that the Merry could handle the water without a problem. Nami kept the sails up, and directing the ship, trying to move away from the sea monkeys without going too far off course.

"It's the long way around, but hopefully safer," she said to Kia, once Kia had joined her again.

"I hope you're right," Kia replied. "That other ship in the water didn't stand a chance against that wave."

"I'm not sure they could have avoided it," Nami said, her brow furrowed. "No sails, and it looked as if no one was in charge either. I'm not sure how they even made it this far like that."

"Hmm, that's strange," Kia replied, realizing now what story the pieces where pointing to. "Anyone experienced in sailing wouldn't dare go out without sails."

"Exactly," Nami said. "Unless they were desperate?" She looked out to the water. "But what kind of situation would cause you to shove off without your sails?" she asked.

"I have a really bad feeling about this…" Usopp said as he joined them.

"When do you not?" Sanji asked, as the rest of the crew came over.

"They were probably attacked, and the sails were burned or shredded," Zoro added, from where he sat next to the stairs.

"No, the ship looked like it hasn't seen trouble at all," Kia replied.

"Well regardless," Nami added, "the waves and wind have calmed down. We must be entering into an island's climate zone.

"Really?" Usopp asked. "Hey! Robin! See anything?" he called up to the crow's nest.

"We've been heading toward an island for some time now," she called back.

"WHAT?!" Luffy and Usopp yelled.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Usopp complained. "Whenever you first see an island, you're supposed to say this!" He turned to Luffy.

"Land! I see land! YAHOO!" Luffy yelled out.

"Now, you're turn!" Usopp told Robin.

"However, the fog is rather thick," Robin continued.

"Don't ignore me!" Usopp yelped.

"Fog?" Nami muttered. "We'd better be careful then. Hey, Chopper!" she called out. "Keep forward watch!"

"Aye aye!" Chopper answered, and headed for the front of the ship.

"Rob-in!" Luffy yelled. "Do you know how long we've been waiting to see an island?!"

"My mistake, I'll be more mindful in the future," Robin said.

"Well, if you mean it…" Luffy mused. "Okay then."

Kia leaned over onto the railing, just enjoying the interactions of the crew. These people were so amazing together, especially because they were so different from each other.

The ship moved into the thick fog, and Luffy shouted out about getting the anchor ready. Kia moved, following the rest of the crew towards the front of the ship. As she climbed the stairs after Sanji, she heard a thump behind her, and looked back to see Usopp on his knees, and clutching his chest.

"OY, Chopper!" Sanji called, leaning back to sit on the railing behind him, and looking over his shoulder at Usopp. "Usopp's got "Can't Go On the Island" disease acting up again!"

Chopper came running over, and with a grin, looked down at Usopp. "Well, there's no cure for that!" he said, and giggled, causing Kia to snicker.

"Hey! Check it out! It's all grass as far as I can see!" Luffy yelled, as the island became visible. Zoro timed his anchor release, causing the ship to stop just a few feet from the coast.

"Nice one," Kia said, and he gave her a nod.

"Do you suppose anyone lives here?" Robin asked.

"It looks really dull," Sanji said.

"Let's go!" Luffy called, jumping from the ship, followed by Chopper and Usopp.

"Hey!" Nami yelled, as they started rolling on the grass, the rest of the crew watching them. "Why do they just barrel off without a care?" she asked.

"With how far we can see, it's obvious there's no danger," Zoro said. "Let's go have a look around."

The others nodded, and took some time to gather their supplies, or rather what they would need to gather new supplies from the island. Baskets to gather fruit, ropes bags to cart back anything they found, as well as supplies needed to set up camp.

By the time they disembarked, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were off past a rolling hill, and they could no longer see them.

"Hopefully they haven't gotten into any trouble," Nami worried.

"They're just exploring, don't fret," Sanji said consolingly.

Kia turned at a sudden boom, and the other four turned as well. Large claws attached by chains to an extremely large ship we shot out toward the island, and landed on either side of the Merry.

"They just trapped us in!" Sanji said in shock.

"What are they planning?" Nami asked.

Kia looked over at Robin, who didn't seem shocked to see the ship, and she wondered why.

"Who are you guys?" Zoro asked menacingly, once the ship docked, and they could see the crew up on the deck.

"If it's a fight you want," Sanji added, "come on down here."

"WE ARE…" the crew said in unison, causing quite the shout, "THE FOXY PIRATES!" One man stepped forward. "Don't be so hasty! We don't want a fight, we want a showdown!"

"Huh?" the older straw hats replied.

* * *

Nami glanced at Kia, hoping she knew what was going on. "The fight's already started?" she asked.

"That's right!" The foxy pirate explained loudly. The fight starts once one captain agrees to the other captain's challenge. So right now, the captains are squaring off. All you can do is sit and wait!"

"I don't like this," Zoro said with a sneer. "I'll take you all on, here and now!"

"You don't know anything, do you?" Sanji asked. "It's not an actual fight, more like a sports match between pirate crews."

"Exactly," Robin agreed. "Remember Pirate Island? Where we began the Dead End Race?" she asked, and Zoro nodded. "Supposedly the game originated there. Anyway, the main purpose of a Davy Back Fight, is to plunder desirable members from another pirate's crew."

"Pirates plundering other pirates?" Nami gasped.

"Yes," Robin agreed.

"Since you're clueless, I'll tell you how it works," the foxy pirate started.

"No need!" Kia called out. "I know the rules!" She turned back to the other four. "C'mon guys, let's find Luffy, and I'll explain on the way," she said more quietly. "These Foxy Pirates kind of creep me out."

The others nodded, and the five of them began walking in the direction Luffy had gone. "So, Kia? You know what's happening?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Kia replied. "Basically the captains agree to a set number of matches. The winning crew in each match can then decide to take any crew member, or the other crew's jolly roger. The crew member taken has to swear an oath of loyalty to the new captain."

"So if you win, you can strengthen your crew, but if you lose, you can end up with nothing," Robin said, and Kia nodded.

"Might as well be betting your life," Zoro muttered.

"Exactly," Kia replied. "The problem here is, while the Foxy pirates will want some of our crew, Luffy will definitely not want any of them, or even to take their jolly roger. To Luffy, it will just be a game."

"Our crew may be small, but we're all friends," Nami agreed. "I wouldn't want random people joining us, even if they did have a shipwright worth taking."

"The other problem," Kia continued, "is that in the matches, there are specific rules, and literally anything else is fair."

"So if the rule doesn't specifically say something, then it's legal?" Robin asked, her eyebrows up.

"Yes," Kia replied with a sigh. "Not to mention that everyone involved are pirates, which means cheating."

"This is way too complicated for a simple game," Zoro said, annoyed.

"Let's find Luffy, and hope he hasn't agreed to this," Nami said, rushing off.

BANG! BANG!

The five of them stopped as the guns went off, and Nami turned back, dejected. "Does that mean what I think it does?" she asked. The other four nodded back, and she hung her head.


	54. Chapter 54- Davy Back Fight

**A/N: Hope everyone is doing well with all the craziness out there right now. Speaking as someone that has to go to work here where things aren't shut down yet, I totally can appreciate those that are trying to follow the guidelines so that infection doesn't spread. :)**

* * *

It surprised Kia how quickly the Foxy pirates set up a stage, and food stands, lights and all sorts of decorations. The place looked like a carnival had come, which she supposed it had.

"How can you all be so calm!" Nami said, her head in her hands.

"It's already decided, so you might as well stop worrying about it," Zoro chided her.

"Leave her alone Zoro," Usopp chimed in. "You may not be worried, but there's a lot at stake here! I don't want to lose any of our crew!"

"So then we'll win," Zoro shot back, and Usopp grimaced.

"As if it's that easy!" he wailed.

The crew looked up to the stage as Luffy and Foxy swore to uphold the rules of the Davy Back Fight, and Foxy asked Luffy how many games he wanted to play. Kia's eyebrow rose, as she realized these games were like the anime instead of the manga. __At least that's what it appears to be…__ she thought.

"Well, more games means more fun, right?" Luffy asked.

"LUFFY!" Nami and Usopp shouted, holding out a single finger to let him know to choose only one.

"Hmm," Kia said. "I'm thinking two, just in case we lose, we have a chance of getting our crew member back."

Nami and Usopp both changed, raising another finger up.

"Got it!" Luffy called. Her turned back. "We'll do five games!" he said happily.

"You can only do up to three, Straw Hat," Foxy deadpanned.

"Oh!" Luffy said. "Three then!" he turned back to Nami and Usopp. "Sorry guys! Only three!"

Nami and Usopp looked to each other, realizing that Luffy had added their fingers together. Looking further down to their right, they saw one of the Foxy pirates with his finger up.

"You idiot! Why did you add them?!" Usopp yelled.

"And why did you count the enemy's?!" Nami complained.

The Foxy pirates started celebrating, and Nami and Usopp looked like they wanted to cry. Kia tried cheering them up, but knew nothing would help at that moment.

"Who is this Davy Jones guy?" Chopper asked Robin.

"A pirate who was cursed, and forced to spend all eternity at the bottom of the sea," she answered, handing him some cotton candy.

"I've never heard of anyone living under water before," he replied, taking a bite. His eyes lit up in pleasure. "Yummy!"

"Well, that's what the legend says," she replied with a smile. "And all the ships and treasures that sink beneath the waves go to his locker, never to return."

"That's why it's called a Davy Back Fight," Sanji added in. "Because Davy Jones has been taking his pick from pirate crews as long as anyone can remember."

"Scary…" Chopper whimpered.

"Hey!"

The crew turned to the voice, seeing a Foxy pirate come up and hand them a piece of paper. "You need to fill out your roster," he said. "Everyone can compete in two matches, and once it's turned in, it's set in stone."

Zoro took the paper, and looked it over. "There are three events. A race, a ball game, and a team competition."

"Looks like we can all take part in the race," Sanji said, reading over Zoro's shoulder. "Three in the ball game, and five in the team contest."

"Cool!" Luffy grinned. "Go ahead and sign me up for all three!"

"Sorry Captain, that's not how it works," Robin said.

"Only two per person," Kia added. "Sounds like we'll need to use teamwork on all of these in order to win."

"If we lose, they'll surely take Captain Usopp," Usopp complained.

"No, they'll take me," Nami said morosely. "I'm the cute one."

"Any way…" Kia said, looking at the two of them sternly. "We should use some strategy here. The Foxy pirates have plenty of people to choose from, but we don't."

"You have a thought?" Robin asked.

"I'm not sure which events to be in," Kia replied sheepishly. "If I mess up, I don't want to cost us the victory."

"Give yourself some credit Kia," Zoro said, giving her a look. "You've come a far way from the girl we first met."

"I guess so. I'm just worried how I'll do when everyone is watching, like the stairs," she answered, thinking back to the ship. __I can go up and down those stairs all day, but as soon as the guys are watching, I trip all over myself.__

"Here, I'll fill it out," Sanji said, grabbing the roster page. "We have just enough that everyone can participate in the race…"

"Uh, Sanji?" Kia asked as she watched him write. "Are you sure you want me here?"

"Of course!" he said with a grin. "Besides, I'll be there to help you, and Moss Head can take care of watching our backs."

"Say what?!" Zoro said, trying to look at the paper.

"I guess that's a good plan," she replied. "I would make us lose round three."

"Why?" Robin asked her, as Sanji moved to turn the paper in.

"Uh… because team competitions are sure to require coordination!" Kia told Robin hastily, then turned as a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"AND NOW… WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE LINE UP FOR TODAY'S EVENTS!" the announcer from the foxy pirates said into a hand held microphone, attached to a broadcasting snail that he carried around in a knapsack. Kia looked up and around, noting there were speakers placed throughout the area so that everyone could hear.

"FIRST UP, IS THE STRAW HATS! PARTICIPATING IN ROUND ONE, THE DONUT RACE, IS THE ENTIRE STRAW HAT CREW!"

"Have I mentioned my disease that prevents me from racing?" Usopp muttered, looking ill.

Nami rounded on him, "I don't want to do this stupid race either, so just man up!" she scolded him.

"ROUND TWO, THE GROGGY RING," that announcer continued, "IS RORONOA ZORO, SANJI, AND COPPER KY-AH!"

"Better not get in my way," Zoro grumbled to Sanji.

"Right back at ya," Sanji muttered back.

"How did you spell my name on there, Sanji?" Kia pouted. "He got it so wrong!"

"AND FINALLY, IN ROUND THREE, THE ROUND ROLLER ROUND, WE'VE GOT MONKEY D. LUFFY, NICO ROBIN, NAMI, USOPP AND TONY TONY CHOPPER!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" Luffy yelled in excitement.

"LET THE FEROCIOUS DAVY BACK FIGHT BEGIN! ONE CREW WILL BE CROWNED, AND THE OTHER, FORCIBLY DROWNED! I'M ITOMIMIZU, AND TODAY I'LL BE GIVING YOU A PLAY BY PLAY OF THE ACTION!"

That was when Kia stopped paying attention to the announcer. He wasn't as annoying as she thought he would be, and it seemed like he really just wanted to do a good job, so she decided to tune him out, and focus on the Davy Back Fight.

 _ _Step one,__ she thought, __don't let Luffy and Chopper make their boats without input.__

* * *

"And what happens if you can't run anymore?" Kia asked Chopper, as he explained his idea. "Zoro and I won't be able to help row without an oar you know."

"Oh… you're right. Hmm…" Chopper replied, deep in thought.

"We don't have time to think this through," Zoro spoke up, as he began slicing the barrels.

"Chopper, can you make your handle with only one oar?" Kia asked.

"Yeah, I think so," he answered.

"Okay, so save one oar for Zoro, and two pieces of wood for me." After saying that, she moved over to Luffy and Sanji, wishing she had gotten there sooner as the barrels were in pieces on the ground.

"Uh… need any help?" she asked as she approached.

"This moron says he knows what he's doing," Sanji said as he sat there, looking at Luffy with a mutinous expression.

"I'm going to make us a killer boat, just watch!" Luffy exclaimed.

Kia shrugged, realizing she couldn't change everything. She wandered over to Usopp, letting him know how great his boat was, hoping to give him a boost of confidence. She asked him for a hole saw, and took it back to Chopper. Grabbing her pieces of wood where Chopper left them for her, she sat down and got to work.

First she put her hand flat out, and using some dirt, marked where her thumb would be. Then taking the manual drill, she started cutting a circle into the wood. Eventually, Sanji wandered over to where she sat.

"What are you doing, Kia my heart?" he asked.

Kia looked up from her work, hoping that the small holes she was able to make through her wood pieces would work. She looked up at him, fitting the wood pieces on her hands like flippers.

"We don't have enough oars, so I made these to be able to help paddle," she explained, moving her arms in a rowing motion.

"AND TIME IS JUST ABOUT UP! I HOPE EVERYONE IS READY!" the announcer called. Sanji helped Kia to stand, and they made their way to the water with the rest of their crew and their boats.

"OOH! AND THE ODDS ARE IN! I'LL ANNOUNCE THEM IN ORDER OF THEIR POPULARITY, STARTING WITH THE MOST POPULAR OF COURSE!"

Kia shook her head, knowing popularity just meant the beautiful people, and had nothing to do with who could win.

"JUST AS I THOUGHT! THE TOP SPOT GOES TO OUR IDOL AND FELLOW FOXY PIRATE, PORCHE!" Kia smiled as all the foxy pirates cheered, and Porche gave them air kisses. "JOINING HER IS THE FISHMAN, CAPOTE, AND THEIRS IS THE CUTIE WAGON PULLED BY THE STAR SHARK, MONDA!"

"What!? You have a shark pulling your boat?!" Nami yelled at her.

"I didn't hear any rules forbidding the use of sharks…" Porche replied in a sing song voice. Robin looked to her right, seeing Kia's look of disgust, but acceptance.

 _ _Seems Kia was right about these rules,__ Robin thought. __Anything that isn't stated, goes.__

"THE SECOND MOST POPULAR TEAM, WELL THIS IS QUITE THE SURPRISE! IT'S THE BARREL TIGER, CONSISTING OF NAVIGATOR NAMI, ARCHEOLOGIST ROBIN, AND SNIPER USOPP!"

Nami could hear the talk from the shore, but she ignored it. "Are you sure this won't sink?" she asked Usopp, feeling a bit unsteady on the boat.

"I told you, I'm not a professional shipwright," he replied angrily. "But at least I can say with certainty, it's better than those abominations!" he pointed to their right, where their crew mates were waiting for the race to start in their own crafts.

"It's a wonder they float at all," Robin mused.

They could see their friends speaking to each other aboard their boats, and Nami voiced what all three of them were thinking. "If we're going to win this race, it looks like it's up to us."

Usopp and Robin nodded, focusing on the race ahead, as the announcer wrapped up his popularity list.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "Why are the other two mentioned, and we aren't?!"

"Easy," Sanji replied. "They have cute girls aboard, and we don't!"

"So?" Luffy asked, confused. "Cute girls don't mean they're going to win!"

"They were in order by popularity, not by who's going to win," Sanji explained. "The foxy pirates obviously want to take the girls from our crew."

"Well, we're going to win, so it won't matter! And we'll take our girls!" he replied happily. He looked over to his little sister. "Kia! When we win, I'm taking you first!"

Kia, eyes wide in confusion, looked from Luffy to Sanji, who had slapped his hand over his face, and was shaking his head at his captain.

"Uh, did he say he was going to __take__ me?" she asked, though quietly so only Chopper and Zoro could hear. Chopper looked concerned and confused, but Zoro just started laughing at both of them.

* * *

Zoro caught the eternal pose that was tossed to them, and handed it down to Kia.

"ON YOUR MARKS!" the shout came. "GET READY!"

"Hey!"

They looked over, but couldn't hear anything Usopp yelled to them, so they turned back. Kia was sitting cross legged in front of Zoro, her small paddles in her lap. She currently had the oar, and Zoro was steering the rudder. Chopper was grabbing onto a pole in the middle to keep himself steady before he would begin running to power the paddle wheel he made.

The cheering was loud, but they all heard the gun shot, and began paddling quickly. In no time at all, water filled with barrels came rushing up from behind them. They were able to avoid the barrels, but had to stop paddling to do so. Just as the water calmed, there was an explosion, and they looked in shock to see Usopp's boat still in the water, but the back of it was blown off, and it looked like he, Nami, and Robin had been singed.

"Are you all right?!" Sanji shouted out to them.

"Don't touch the barrels!" came the reply.

"Well if we can't touch them, what are we going to do?" Sanji griped, looking around at the barrels surrounding their boats.

"I'll get rid of them!" Luffy shouted. "Gum-gum…"

"Wait!" the rest of them shouted in a panic.

"Are you trying to blow us up?!" Chopper squealed.

"Kia, hand me the oar," Zoro said. He took one of his sword fighting stances, and held the oar up.

"What are you going to do, Zoro?" Chopper asked.

"Stand back and watch," Zoro replied as he began swing the oar around in circles. The wind he generated began pushing the barrels away from their boats, and Luffy began to cheer. Then to finish, Zoro made a strike with the oar, which gave the barrels a huge push… right back to the huge boat they had come from.

Kia could hear the screaming from the boat, and grabbed her paddles. "Let's go, hurry!" she called out, and began paddling.

"Why?" Luffy called.

"Because when they explode, it will make a huge wave, and we want to ride it!" she yelled back. Sanji looked back and turned quickly to shout to Nami about holding on tight.

Within moments, the explosions rang through the air, and the huge wave created from them came straight at the rest of the boats. Several of the smaller foxy pirates' boats were swept away, and Kia shouted at Chopper.

"Hang on and don't try to paddle, or you'll fall off!" she shouted. He jumped, turning small and making his way over Kia, and back by Zoro. He turned big and grabbed the rudder, so Zoro could continue to use the oar.

"This is terrifying!" he screamed, and Zoro shook his head to clear the sudden ringing out of his ears.

"This is amazing!"

Kia looked over, hearing Luffy's shout, and saw that his small, skinny boat now became a wonderful surf board. Sanji was on his knees, trying to keep the shoddily nailed planks together, but Luffy was surfing… one hand out, the other holding his hat to keep it on- and his legs spread to keep himself standing.

When the wave died out, they were near the boats in first, second and third place. Luffy started laughing and wished for another wave to show up. Sanji berated him, saying their boat couldn't handle it.

"Kia, you okay?" she heard, and turned to look behind her. Zoro and Chopper were as wet as she was, though Chopper looked worn out, and Zoro was smirking at her.

"Of course," she replied, as she continued to paddle. "Come on, we've got a race to win."

Chopper moved over her to get back to the paddle wheel, and turned back into his heavy point. Zoro grabbed tightly to his oar, and the three of them started paddling.

"Looking for a party?"

"Well, hellooo!"

Kia glanced back, seeing Sanji already in the boat filled with four women, and Luffy was sitting in the food barge eating.

"Those guys," she groused, and stopped when she noticed Zoro sitting across from Luffy.

"Zoro!" she yelled. "Get back here, now!"

"Lay off Kia, I'm just getting a drink!" he replied, and proceeded to drink his mug dry.

"Would either of you like a candied apple?" another man asked her and Chopper, and Chopper hid behind her.

"What's a candied apple, is it sweet?" Chopper asked.

"Yes, but now isn't the time," Kia replied. "I'll make you one sometime." She looked back at Zoro again, wondering what to say to get him to move. "Let's get going Chopper," she said, as she started to paddle again. She raised her voice so that the monster trio could hear her. "We won't __give up__ like those three have! We don't want to __lose!__ "

"Yeah!" Chopper cheered as he started running on the paddle wheel. Kia paddled as well, and they moved away from the foxy pirates.

"What did you say?!" Zoro yelled as he watched his boat move further away.

Hearing a scream, he looked further out, seeing the other part of their crew was being attacked.

"Nami! Robin!"

Zoro turned, seeing the chef shout as he grabbed Luffy, and hauled him onto their pathetic excuse for a boat. But Zoro couldn't be picky at the moment since he needed a lift. He stepped over, and jumped onto the raft as the chef was paddling away. He still had his own oar, and so he decided to help out, just so he could get back to his own boat even faster.

"Hey, what's Kia doing?" Luffy asked, as he looked ahead. "Pushing with her hands? That'll take forever!"

"She made paddles from pieces of wood," Zoro replied, staying focused on paddling towards the closer boat, while Sanji was angling toward the further one.

"Oh, like little mini oars!" Luffy said with a grin. "She's so smart!" He looked down, and grabbed a couple pieces of broken wood. "Zoro, switch me places!" he called, and moved towards Zoro's legs. The swordsman was quick to jump over him, not certain what his plan was.

Then he fell back into Luffy, who was now the only thing that kept him from falling into the water. The boat was moving as if there were a team of sharks pulling it, and Zoro growled as they sped right past Kia and Chopper.

"Hey, my boat!" Zoro complained.

"Nami! Robin! I'm coming to save you!" he heard the pervert calling.

 _ _That does it,__ he thought, and though it took him awhile, he finally made it to his feet.

"THE BASICALLY BARRELS AND THE SWORDFISH KING BOATS HAVE SUNK AND ARE DISQUALIFIED!"

Zoro, hearing the announcement, whipped his head around. He could see the wreckage behind them, and it was getting smaller. He could see Chopper bobbing above the water, so he assumed Kia was keeping him safe. A sneer danced on his face as he thought of the two of them. __I should have been there. I should have protected them,__ he thought.

He heard another shout, and saw that they were approaching another boat that looked like a pink blob. He could see the weapons the four crew members held, and his sneer turned from disgust to a smirk. __I'll protect these two, to make up for it, Kia.__

As they came nearer, Zoro grabbed two of his swords, yelled, "Bull's needles!" and jumped. The complicated swings were exact and hit every crucial point holding the boat together before he hit the water. He came immediately to the surface, seeing the boat fall apart, as his captain and the chef moved past them with ease.

Zoro gave a satisfied nod, and started swimming back towards his own boat. He was disqualified after all, and needed to make sure his crew were all right.

* * *

Nami had had enough. Robin wasn't taking this seriously, and Usopp wasn't helping either. They had stood a chance for a moment or two, when Luffy and Sanji had shown up, and helped speed them past the first place boat. Of course, soon after, Luffy had collapsed, and they were back where they started- being the only hope for victory.

"OOOH! THEY'RE NOW APPROACHING THE MOST FEARSOME OBSTACLES OF THE COURSE!" Nami looked up, seeing the announcer and his huge sparrow flying above them. "THE LONG CORAL REEF! AND, JUST BEYOND THAT FOREBODING AND DIFFICULT PATH… IS THE DREADED LONG RING WHIRLPOOL OF LONG CAPE! CAN THEY OVERCOME THESE HURDLES?"

Nami glanced forward, seeing the huge corals sticking up in what looked like a large grove of pink trees.

"OHO! AND WHAT'S THIS?" the announcer said loudly.

"What now?" Robin asked, though Nami was certain she was less than amused.

"IT'S FULL DASH HAMBURG AT FULL SPEED! AND RIDING ATOP HIM, IS THE GENIUS OF INTERFERENCE; THE SCOURGE OF FAIRNESS HIMSELF, OUR BOSS… SILVER FOX FOXY!"

"It's him!" Nami said, as she caught a glimpse of the evil smirk on his face. "What are they going to do?" she wondered, even as she kept paddling.

"Can they do anything?" Usopp asked. "They aren't part of the race!"

"I have a feeling they can," Robin said, thinking back to Kia's earlier words. "It was never stated that those on the land can't interfere."

"That's ridiculous!" Nami said, insulted. "What kind of stupid game is this?!"

"For now, let's focus on what's in front of us," Robin suggested, and Nami took a deep breath.

"We're our only hope," Nami said, peering ahead of them. "Usopp, can I see your binoculars?" she asked, and he was quick to find them and hand them over. Nami looked for several moments, and then handed them back. "We need to stop before the coral," she announced, and the other two looked at her in question. "There are whirlpools all around, and I'll need to study them so that we can get through without trouble."

"We can't just paddle through?" Usopp asked.

"No. They are deceptively strong, and will pull us back out easily. Once I see the pattern of the current, we should be able to use them to navigate our way through the coral without paddling at all."

Usopp looked at Nami, impressed. "Well then, by all means," he said. "We'll get you there, you just study away."

"Look, something's coming towards us," Robin said curiously.

Looking up, both Usopp and Nami screamed, "A boulder?!" and started paddling for their lives.

* * *

Zoro, Kia and Chopper had just made it back to land. Zoro tossed Chopper up, and turning to his heavy point, Chopper then helped pull Zoro and Kia out of the water. All three of them were now exhausted, and simply sat or laid down right where they were.

"Man, this race is crazy," Zoro said in a mutter.

"Yeah," the other two agreed.

Kia perked up, as she heard the laughing from the foxy pirates around her. She sat up, and looked around, hearing the tail end of Itomimizu's comments about what Foxy was up to.

"Come on guys, we need to keep going," she said as she started to stand.

"Why?" Chopper asked, though he got up as well. "What's going on?"

"Remember when I said that anything goes in these games? Since the rules didn't say anything about those off the field helping, it sounds like the foxy pirates are trying to sabotage our boats from here!"

Zoro stood up as well, and the three of them started running after the boats, trying to catch up to what was happening. After hearing a loud "BANG!" Zoro moved ahead of her and Chopper, both to protect and to attack if needed.

Coming through the crowd of foxy pirates, they saw the large cannon, and heard the screams from the water, where their crew mates were trying desperately to stay on their boats. Without any more hesitation, Zoro moved forward with his swords, turning them around, and took out the pirates, knocking them out cold.

Kia and Chopper cheered for Zoro, and they continued forward, trying to catch up to where their crew's boats were heading towards the coral.

Kia gritted her teeth as she heard the "Feh, feh , feh!" laughter of Foxy.

"We've got to catch up!" she said loudly.

"Right!" the other two responded as they quickened their pace.

"WAIT, WAIT! WHAT'S THIS?" the announcer's voice called out. "THE STRAW HATS ARE SLOWING DOWN!"

Kia didn't want to stop, but Zoro and Chopper slowed to watch the boats as they stopped in front of the reef. The Cutie Wagon cruised past them, and into the reef, only to return moments later.

"WHAAA?! THE CUTIE WAGON HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK OUT OF THE REEF! WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWN THERE?"

"Whirlpools, huh?" Kia said with a smirk. "That will be no problem for Nami."

"They're moving in!" Chopper said excitedly.

"What's that?" Zoro asked, even as the Itomimizu's voice came across the loud speakers again.

"HA HA! AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE FIENDISH INTERFERENCE WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!"

The foxy pirates started cheering, but after just a moment the Straw Hat's boats exited the corals .

"Woo-hoo! Let's go!" Chopper cheered, and started running after the boats again, several of the foxy pirates running along with them, in order to see the end of the race.

Zoro pulled Chopper up off the ground, and skidded to a stop. "Chopper, Kia went the other way!" he said as he started running in the other direction.

"Whaat? Why?" Chopper asked.

"Don't know, but we need to stay together!" Zoro replied, as he hurried to catch up to her. She was fast, but was going against the flow of people, and of course, Zoro was faster. He caught up in no time. "Kia!" he groused, as he ran beside her. "Don't just leave without us!"

She glanced over, then back to focus on where she was going. "Sorry," she huffed out.

"Where are we going?" Chopper asked from Zoro's shoulder.

"Finish line," she replied, as they neared the party booths and tents again, they saw they weren't the only ones. Everyone was heading for the finish line to see the end of the race.

"OH, AND THE BARELY FLOATS CRASHES, AND IS DISQUALIFIED!" they heard, and Kia slowed to a stop, panting.

"So Luffy and Curly Brow are out too, huh?" Zoro asked. Kia looked at him, noting that he wasn't even breathing hard, and she really wanted to punch him- though in actuality, she wished she could be just like him.

"I'd rather not group in with the crowd," she said to her friends. Looking around, she pointing to the side of the group. "Let's go over there, we should still be able to see the finish, and we can cheer on our friends."

Zoro and Chopper nodded, and the trio walked over to where she had pointed.

Kia searched the ground as they walked, looking for a rock, or something she could use as a distraction. Zoro might stop her if she went running for Foxy, and she couldn't tell them about his devil fruit power without having to explain a lot more than that. __But… if I could throw something at him…__ she thought.

Finding the right size was important. She wanted to distract, not kill him or anything. __In fact, a dirt clod might be the better option.__ She picked up a small rock, and feeling uneasy, decided to try to get Zoro away first.

"We're just going to wait here Zoro, if you want to go have a few drinks," she offered. He raised his eyebrow at her, but she could tell from the gleam in his eye that that was exactly what he wanted to do. "Go on, they're probably giving them away still, and Chopper is here with me. Luffy and Sanji will be here soon too." He looked back and forth between them, then giving a nod, took off back through the crowd.

She took the opportunity to sit and rest as the race began its last minutes. She could hear the commentary, and the tricks that Foxy was trying to pull- with Nami not falling for any of them, and she couldn't help but exchange smiles with Chopper.

Soon, Luffy and Sanji joined them, and they all began cheering for their friends as they came into view. Kia was getting anxious as she looked at the rock in her hand. It could cause a lot of problems if this went the wrong way. She looked over at Luffy, at Chopper, then Sanji.

The small rock hit the ground softly, and Kia stepped back. Seeing that the three of them didn't notice, she began striding out towards Hamburg and Foxy, as they were racing along the coastline. Picking up speed, she ignored everything around her, and keeping her focus on Foxy.

 _ _I won't let you win this…__ she thought, her face becoming angry as she moved towards him.

"You guys were close, you almost won!" a foxy pirate said to Luffy.

"What do you mean? We're totally going to win!"

"Take a look over there, our boss is coming," the man replied. "He's just like you, and has devil fruit powers."

"Aah! Where's Kia?" Chopper shouted as he jumped around.

"You LOST her?" Sanji cried. "Where'd she go?"

"She's over there," Luffy said, pointing. All three of them watched as several things happened at once.

Foxy held out his hand, and shouted, "Slow-slow beam!"

Hamburg saw the girl jump at him, and managed to say, "Boss?"

And Kia did a jumping tackle to hit Foxy's hand out of the way.

But, as things never quite happen as planned… Hamburg moved, taking Foxy with him, which in turn caused Kia to land directly on top of Foxy, knocking him to the ground, and all the while, the slow-slow beam was hitting the Straw Hats and Kia alike.

"AND THE WINNER IS… THE CUTIE WAGON! OUR IDOL PORCHE HAS COME OUT THE VICTOR!" Through the cheering of the crows, Itomimizu's voice rang loudly above the din. "AND IN OTHER SHOCKING NEWS… IT SEEMS ONE OF THE STRAW HATS HAS FALLEN HEAD OVER HEELS FOR OUR BOSS, AND WANTS TO CLAIM HIM AS HER OWN!"

"WHAAT?!" the shout rang out from everywhere as the cheering stopped suddenly.

"What is happening? Get me out of here, Hamburg!" Foxy yelled.

"Kia?" Sanji asked as he made it to her, and though he pulled her with difficulty, he couldn't seem to move her from atop the other captain. "What's wrong with her?" he shouted.

Chopper ran up as well, seeing Kia with her face scrunched up tight, her arms and legs still spread over the man in her tackling leap. "Is she frozen?" he cried.

"No!" Foxy shouted. "She's been hit by slowpoke photons! But we won!" Zoro came running, a mug in his hand, just in time to see Kia seem to unfreeze, and go limp. Then she yelped, and rolled off the man as fast as she could.

She looked around herself in confusion, and asked. "What happened?"

"Out of nowhere, you tackled their captain," Sanji explained as he helped her up.

"No, what happened in the race?" she asked, worried.

"I thought we would win, but then they suddenly slowed down," Luffy said, his face showing his confusion and disappointment.

"You tried to cheat!" Porche snapped as she strode up. "During the Davy Back fight is no time to express your feelings for someone! Especially our boss!"

Kia whipped around to the woman, appalled. "Express my… __what?!"__ she cried, looking horrified.

"Yeah, she was throwing herself at the boss!" some random pirate yelled.

"Man, I wish I was cool and handsome as the boss, and having girls throw themselves at me!" another added.

Kia looked left and right, as she heard the comments sweeping through the crowd of foxy pirates. A hand on her shoulder had her turning.

"Really Kia, my heart?" Sanji looked at her, crestfallen. "You can do so much better!"

Kia face palmed, because there were truly no words. "THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Like we'd believe that!" Porche said loudly, and the foxy pirates nodded along with her. "Our boss is the best, no wonder you want him so bad!"

"Listen here Miss Ky-ah-"

"It's Kee-ah!" Kia shouted, interrupting Foxy, just as Zoro stepped in front of her, looking down at her face.

"It hardly matters now. It's time to move on," he said to her, and started to pull her away.

"Zoro… they're telling everyone that I'm in love with him!" Kia responded, still upset. "That's gross!"

"Boss!"

Zoro and Kia turned back, seeing Foxy on all fours, his head hanging down. "She said loving me is gross…" he cried.

"She didn't mean it boss! She's just embarrassed that you didn't return her feelings so she's lashing out!" Porche said hastily.

"What?!" Kia yelled, turning back, though Zoro held her at bay. "No I'm not!"

Porche ignored her, and Kia's mouth was opening and closing, just like a fish. She didn't know why, but she __needed__ them to know that it wasn't true.

"You were trying to stop our team from winning, so I tried to stop you!" Kia replied. "Besides…" she glanced up at Zoro and muttered, "help me out," then raising her voice continued, "I have a boyfriend, right here!"

 _ _Sometimes… I wish I thought things through more carefully…__ Kia thought, as not only were the Foxy pirates freaking out at hearing that, but her own crew was as well- with the exception of Robin and Nami. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper gaped at them, while Zoro gave her a scowl, and she could hear Sanji behind them yelling something like, "That can't be true! How could he have a girl before me?!"

Then, to make matters worse, Usopp started asking what really happened when they were working out, Sanji challenged Zoro to a fight, and Luffy stalked up to Zoro and demanded, "Aren't you supposed to ask me to date her?"

Kia looked up at Zoro in apology though he didn't look ready to accept it, then over to Nami in a desperate need of assistance, only to receive a shrug from the Navigator and a small smile from Robin.


	55. Chapter 55- Round 2: The Groggy Ring

It had taken awhile for things to calm down, but once Robin took pity on Kia and asked Foxy about his devil fruit, most everyone was focused on him and his power, and not Kia. She discovered that her plan had almost worked, but as she hit Foxy, his slow-slow beam still hit the back of the Straw Hat's boat, enough that the Cutie Wagon had beaten them by a foot.

Everything from that point, happened just as she remembered. Foxy chose Chopper, and the little reindeer screamed as they took him to the stage. He begged for all of them to help him, and Kia- though knowing they would get him back- started tearing up at his crying.

Eventually, Zoro gave his speech about sucking it up and being a man, and Chopper- now inspired- sat bravely to watch the next event. Suddenly, Zoro was the epitome of cool in the eyes of the foxy pirates, and Kia was the object of desire for the men- so they could be like Zoro- and jealousy from the ladies, who wanted him to want them instead.

Neither she or Zoro enjoyed that very much.

"Thanks a lot Kia," Zoro grumbled, as their crew gathered away from the foxy pirates. They had a small break time, as the field was prepared for the next event.

"Look, I'm sorry, and I'll owe you like a million drinks if you'll keep playing along," Kia replied. "I just couldn't let them talk about me liking Foxy anymore." She shivered in disgust, saying "blech."

"Wait, playing along?" Sanji shouted with a grin. "You mean it's not true?!"

Zoro threw his arm over Kia's shoulders. "Of course it is. Stay away from her, crappy cook."

Kia sat frozen and eyes wide, not wanting to upset Sanji, but needing Zoro's help more at the moment. She gave a timid smile, and Sanji turned away, completely upset again.

 _"_ _ _What are you doing?!"__ she hissed to Zoro.

 _"_ _ _I should get something out of this,"__ he replied under his breath, as he removed his arm. _"_ _ _Even if its just seeing Prince Eyebrows cry."__

Kia gave him a condemning look, but said nothing.

"This is so exciting!" Luffy said, as he joined them with his hands full of food from the concession stands. "I'm sure we'll win the next round!"

"WHILE THE FIELD IS GETTING READY, I'LL EXPLAIN THE RULES OF THE GROGGY RING EVENT!" Itomimizu's voice carried over the loudspeaker. "ON THE FIELD WILL BE TWO GOALS, AND YOU WIN BY PUTTING THE BALL, INTO THE OPPOSING TEAM'S RING! BUT, THE BALL ISN'T A BALL!- - - IT'S A PERSON!"

"So it's a three on three ball game, huh?" Nami asked, and Kia nodded.

"Yeah, but which one of us is going to be the ball?" she replied.

"He will," Zoro said, pointing at Sanji. A foxy pirate appeared out of nowhere, and stuck the ball marker on Sanji's head, and headed back to his own crew. The Straw hats were glancing around in surprise, wondering all sorts of things at that moment.

"It's something to think about," Kia responded, after waving away the thoughts of the foxy pirates. "If one of the guys is the ball, they can do a good job of defending themselves from being scored. If I'm the ball, they'll have a better chance of scoring the other guy."

"You're forgetting one very important thing Kia," Usopp said, glancing over at where Sanji and Zoro were throwing the ball headpiece back and forth to each other. "That would mean those two would have to work together to score!"

And though Luffy was laughing at their antics, Kia and Nami both nodded at Usopp's point. Kia looked past Nami to the archeologist. "What do you think Robin?" she asked.

Robin looked surprised for a moment, but she put her book down in her lap. "I'd say the decision is yours," she said, also looking over to the chef and swordsman. "It doesn't look like either of them want to be the ball, though I'm sure one of them would do it if necessary." She looked back to Kia. "However you have been working very hard on your dodging and blocking skills, so I would suggest deciding on whichever makes you more comfortable."

Kia nodded, though her stomach seemed to be filled with flitting butterflies. She doubted she would be any help in getting the humongous fishman/giant into the goal, but she was nervous about being able to dodge the other two monsters as well. If she was the ball, she would be a target and could get hurt. But on the other hand, if she was trying to score, she'd mostly likely be hurt and distract the others.

"I'll be the ball," she said in offer, and Zoro and Sanji both looked at her skeptically. "I've been working on my dodging, haven't I?" she asked, holding out her hand for the head piece. "No better time than now to show my stuff."

"AND THE FIELD IS READY!" came the announcement. "PLAYERS TO THE FIELD!"

"Here we go," Kia said, as she stood with the others. She knew Sanji and Zoro didn't need her there in order to win. Last event, she had tried to change things and didn't succeed. This time, she could only hope that she'd be able to keep things the way they were supposed to go… without dying.

"OH! I HEAR THE THEME SONG…OF THE INDOMITABLE GROGGY RING ELITE! THEY'RE UNDEFEATED! UNBEATABLE! UNSTOPPABLE!"

Kia moved with Sanji and Zoro as Itomimizu introduced the three monsters they would be playing against. She could hear Nami and Usopp yelling on the sidelines, but she didn't look over until she heard Luffy yell, "Hey guys!"

She glanced over, as did her teammates. "You've got this!" he called, and Kia gave him a thumbs up before working to secure the ball marker to her head. So doing, she missed the look that Luffy gave the guys, and their nods back to their captain.

Following after her, they came up on either side of her as she moved onto the field.

"THE GROGGY MONSTERS ARE READY FOR ROUND TWO! AND OPPOSING THEM, ARE… THE ANGRY COOK- - SANJI!"

"I think you mean, amazing chef," Sanji muttered.

"THE MAN WITH A 60 MILLION BERI BOUNTY… THE PIRATE HUNTER… RORONOA ZORO!"

"Hmph," Zoro grunted.

"AND THE WOMAN BETWEEN THEM, THE CUTE TEMPTRESS WHO PLAYS WITH NOT ONLY THE PIRATE HUNTER'S HEART, BUT OUR BOSS' HEART AS WELL- - - COPPER, KIA!"

"IT'S COOPER!" she shouted up to the sky.

No one listened, as the referee did a coin toss, and then announced to Zoro and Kia that they couldn't have their weapons. They tossed them to their friends for safe keeping, and Zoro gave a smirk as he hit his fists together in anticipation.

And of course, Sanji just had to comment, which led to a fight. Kia jumped between them before it could go anywhere.

"Let's go," Zoro said to Kia. "Oh, and cook… hope you get trampled out there."

"Up yours!" Sanji snarled. "Don't worry Kia my dear, I'll protect you!" he said with a suave smile.

"SEEMS THE LADY ALREADY HAS ANOTHER HEART CAUGHT IN HER SNARE!"

Kia stopped her foot and threw back her head. "I DO NOT!"

"Focus Kia," Zoro said quietly beside her. "Let's take them down." He gave her a nudge and she moved forward, away from the protection and safety of the guys, and into the circle that was in front of three of the biggest monsters she had ever seen. Looking up, she couldn't help but gulp as they all grinned at her.

* * *

The whistle blew, and expecting the first charge, Kia retreated back to give herself room to dodge. If needed, she could easily slide under their legs, but she didn't want to give away any moves too soon, since she might need them later.

She could hearing the cheering and yelling from the sidelines, but she put it out of her head, and focused on the opposing team.

Sanji streaked past her, heading straight for the wotan. The second largest monster, by the name of Pickles, charged towards her. She moved quickly to the right to avoid his shoulder tackle, going to where Sanji had been. She looked forward and cursed herself. Sanji was slipping on the wotan's skin, and unable to attack the ginormous ball man. __Kia you fool! You were supposed to warn them about that!__ she berated herself.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!" Zoro yelled up at Sanji, missing Pickles as he raced past.

"Who are you calling an idiot?!" Sanji replied furiously, looking back to the swordsman just as the giant's hand smashed into him, sending him spiraling through the air.

"SANJI!" the shout came from the sides.

"Oh crap!" Kia yelled, jumping up as Sanji skid across the grass under her. If she hadn't jumped, he would have bowled her over.

"Sling Tackle!"

Kia heard the sound of pain coming from Zoro, and glanced over, seeing him on the ground.

"PICKLES ENTERS ENEMY TERRITORY!" the announcer cried. "MEANWHILE, CAN HAMBURG CATCH KIA IN THE AIR?!"

Kia jerked as arms caught her, and she went even higher, as Hamburg brought her along with him into the air. He shouted, "Gorilla Throw!" and spun, letting her go, and she flew back toward their own goal, where she could see Pickles and Zoro racing to catch her.

She tried her best to move in mid air, anything she could to adjust herself so that she could counteract what was happening. Pickles started spinning and as she descended, she saw Zoro flung away, landing with his face on the ground. As she fell to the spinning monster, she tried to grab on to any part of him, but was immediately flung away as well… straight up into the sky.

It all happened very quickly, but as she was flying through the air, it seemed that time had slowed. She watched as the large wotan ran up the field, and threw Hamburg in the air to intercept with her. She kicked her leg out as he came near, but his gorilla arms were longer than her legs, and he caught her again.

His momentum changed her trajectory, and they sailed towards her goal, with him holding her over his head, waiting to slam dunk her into the ring. The voices from the sidelines that she had ignored- she could hear them clearly now.

"Kia!" she heard Chopper screaming.

"Zoro! Sanji! Do something!" came from Luffy and Usopp.

"Stupid Eyebrows!" she heard, and tilted her head back to look behind her at the field. She could see upside down Zoro whirling Pickles around by his leg before releasing him, and she grinned, knowing she wouldn't be scored just yet.

"IS IT ABOUT TO END ALREADY?!" came the voice on the loudspeaker.

"You aren't going to score!" Zoro shouted.

Kia heard Sanji's voice, and tilted her head forward. "I won't have that swordsman one up me by saving Kia before me!"

It was as if time sped up again, as Hamburg released her due to Sanji's grip and kick, and Kia grabbed onto the chef as they fell back to the ground. She ended up in a piggy back grip, and held on as Sanji bent to cushion the fall.

He waited until she stood before straightening, and the three of them looked over at Hamburg and Pickles in a heap by their goal, out cold.

"That was close," she muttered.

"NO GOAL!"

Sanji glanced over at Zoro, pointing at him accusingly. "I don't need your help," he sneered. "You're cramping my style!"

"You get thrown around too easily to be of any good," Zoro retorted. "Is your style getting punched into the ground?!"

"COULD IT BE?! A DUO AS STRONG AS THE GROGGY MONSTERS HAS APPEARED IN THE RING? WE HAVE AN EPIC GAME ON OUR HANDS! THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!"

The announcer flew with his giant sparrow around the ball field. "THE CROWD IS STUNNED! TEAM STRAW HAT- MINUS THE BALL OF COURSE- IS QUITE FORMIDABLE!"

"Rude…" Kia pouted, though she couldn't really argue, and she was pretty surprised at the cheers for Zoro and Sanji on the side lines that weren't from their own crew.

"Listen you PLAYBOY COOK, you'd better get those FANCY EYEBROWS away from me, and in a HURRY!" Zoro shouted with scorn.

"No you listen, YOU DUMB OAF! If you don't get your MEAT HEAD off the field RIGHT NOW I'm going to fry it up!" Sanji shot back.

"All right guys," Kia said, stepping in between them with her hands up. "We've got a chance to get their ball guy! Come on!" she gestured toward the giant fishman.

They ignored her, and continued arguing, getting louder as they went.

"GUYS!" she shouted, but still nothing. Turning, she began walking toward the middle of the field, her only idea now, to get close to the ball man, and scream. She didn't like it, but it seemed both of them were willing to protect her. If this was the only way to get through to them… so be it.

"They're funny!" Luffy said as he laughed.

"Zoro! Sanji! Now's your chance!" Usopp hollered. "What are you waiting for?! The ball guy is all alone!"

Both men stopped arguing, and turned, seeing Kia disappear under a giant foot as it smashed to the ground.

"KIA!" they both yelled as they started running towards where she had been.

"RUN!" they heard, and saw Kia running towards them from around the foot. She passed them as it raised in the air again, and both of them saw the huge spikes in the bottom.

"RUN!" they both shouted, turning and running away. They caught up to Kia, and each reached for her as they ran.

Not knowing what was happening, the straw hats on the sidelines simply gaped. The picture of Kia, her torso being held by Zoro, and her legs by Sanji - as they ran side by side away from the huge fishman.

"You'll never score if you run __away__ from the ball man!" Usopp yelled.

"We're doing our best! That guy's got knives on his shoes, and if we don't run he'll make mulch out of us!" Zoro snarled back.

"Hey ref!" Sanji shouted. "I thought you said no weapons!"

"AH! We're gonna die!" Kia yelled, trying not to squirm in their grip, but feeling the need to move, and ending up crawling up Zoro to hang on to him.

Seeing that he no longer had a hold on Kia, and that she was clinging to Zoro made Sanji see red. He moved out of the way of the spiked shoes, and glared at the ref. Loosening his shoe took only a moment, and he kicked with all his anger.

The crowd watched in awe as the cook shouted, "Stop screwing with US!" and his shoe flew straight into the face of the referee, knocking him down.

Sanji began striding over to him, and Usopp caught him just in time, before he pummeled the ref into paste.

"You saw the whole thing, you little cheater!" Sanji yelled. "I saw you sweating over there!"

"Nuh-uh, I didn't shee any-shing!" the ref replied, trying to stand, but so dizzy he just swayed.

"LIAR!" Sanji hollered, Usopp using all his strength to hold him back.

* * *

Kia took all this in as she held onto Zoro like a strange backwards backpack. "He's arguing with the ref… oh, they just gave him a yellow card…" she said, giving Zoro the play by play.

Zoro was panting by this point, and Kia felt horrible. __Maybe he could toss her aside, and they could distract the giant? s__ he thought, looking up.

"Holy- - He's got a giant axe!" she screamed.

* * *

Sanji looked over, hearing the scream and pointed to the field. "Wait, an axe?! You can't miss that!"

The ref whistled as he looked the other way. "I didn't see… are you sure?"

Sanji was practically vibrating with fury. "OF COURSE I'M SURE! He's got a giant axe, you can see for yourself, stupid!"

"Give it up Sanji! You're just playing into their trap!" Usopp argued.

"Who cares!"

"If you won't do it for me, do it for Chopper!"

"Okay!" Luffy said as he marched towards the ref. "Stand back and let ME handle them!"

"No! The captain butting in isn't going to help!" Usopp said as he grabbed for Luffy.

"Sanji!" Nami called, pointing to the field. "Win this for me!"

Sanji fell onto one knee, making a heart shape with his hands. "I won't fail you, Nami my swan!" and with that, he ran out to his teammates.

Nami glanced over to Kia, hoping what she had done would help. She was surprised to see that Kia was no longer holding onto Zoro, but the two of them were being chased… or rather, were leading the monstrous ball man towards his own goal.

* * *

"I hope this works!" Kia shouted, as she and Zoro zigged and zagged over the field, bringing the fishman into position for a takedown.

"We can't move him once he's down, so we have to bring him down into the goal!" Zoro hollered back. "Almost there! Now Kia!"

"Hey UGLY!" Kia yelled as she skidded to a stop near the other team's goal, and bringing the fishman's attention to her. He stopped as well, looking down at her, and raising his boot high. "That's right, get a little overbalanced…" she said to herself, and suddenly took off towards him.

"KIA!" she heard from the other side of the field, looking up as Sanji came running for her. He and Zoro looked like they were going to collide if one of them didn't move.

"Watch out for each other!" she called. "Work together you morons!" she screeched, as they began pushing at each other.

They both jumped into the air, wanting to make the hit that would bring down the giant, yet the hesitation and the fighting had given him time to adjust. He turned and dropped to the ground in front of them, his massive arms sweeping around to the front, and knocking Kia flying. She hit the ground over and over, finally rolling to a stop, where she laid, unmoving.

The Straw Hat crew gasped, as they watched their friend fly head over feet over forty yards away.

Looking back at their fighters, they saw the fishman holding his ankles in his hands, forcing them to slide in circles around his backside.

"NOW THERE IS NO ESCAPE FOR THE FIGHTERS OF TEAM STRAW HAT! AND LOOK! HAMBURG AND PICKLES ARE RECOVERED FROM THEIR EARLIER INCIDENT! WHAT'S THIS? IT SEEMS THAT THEY'VE UPDATED THEIR WARDROBE!"

Nami glanced up at the bird circling around, as the foxy pirates began calls for their team to crush and maim the others.

"LEADER HAMBURG IS SPORTING NEW IRON KNUCKLES AND ELBOW GUARDS. WHERE DID HE GET THOSE? MEANWHILE, PICKLES HAS DONNED SPIKED SHOULDER PROTECTORS, WHICH CLEARLY VIOLATE THE NO WEAPONS RULE! BUT, BY COMPLETE COINCEDENCE, THE REFEREE SEEMS TO BE DOING SOME STRETCHES RIGHT NOW! OH WELL, YOU CAN'T CATCH THEM ALL!"

The crew on the sidelines were worried, but the foxy team ignored Kia on the ground, and went straight for Zoro and Sanji. The fishman finally let go of his ankles, launching them into the air, while Pickles assisted Hamburg into the air as well. He used his iron knuckles to knock Zoro down to the ground, while the giant fishman leaped up, and spiked his teammate like a volleyball- landing him on top of Zoro… with his iron elbow guards between them.

Zoro coughed up blood in a fit, then his head hit the ground.

"ZORO!" Usopp screamed, unsure if he was even still breathing.

"THE STRAW HATS ARE SHOWN THE POWER OF TEAMWORK, AS THE GROGGY CHAMPIONS TURN TO THE STRAW HAT'S CHEF! PICKLES IS LAUNCHED FROM BIG PAN, AND HIS SPIKED SHOULDERS ARE CLOSING IN FAST!"

"SANJI!" Luffy shouted. "MOVE!"

Sanji had just dizzily made it to his feet when the spiked shoulder plowed into him, sending him flying. Hamburg rose to meet him, sending him soaring back to Pickles with a hit from his iron knuckles. A second hit from the shoulder of spikes sent him up, where Big Pan slapped him down to the ground, with a mighty blow.

"IT'S LIKE THEY DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT SCORING!" the announcer said in faux shock.

"This is bad," Robin said, concerned.

"Oh no…" Nami added, her hand covering her mouth.

"Get up Zoro... Sanji…" Luffy said as he looked over to where Kia still lay still. "Kia… come on you guys. I believe in you…"

"WHAT'S THIS?" the announcement came suddenly. "THE STRAW HAT'S BALL WOMAN IS ON HER FEET?!"

* * *

The strain of just standing seemed too much to bear. She couldn't hear anything, there was just a dull buzzing sound, and she couldn't really see very well, it all kind of blurred together.

But… she knew what had just happened, something that they had tried to avoid, but it happened anyway. They were hurt, __oh man do I hurt…__

Kia blinked her eyes a few times, getting her vision a little clearer. By some miracle, she wasn't that far away from Sanji and Zoro, and they mercifully had fallen near each other.

 _ _I tried quitting already, and that didn't stick…__ she thought as she swayed. __So since I'm determined to be a straw hat, that means I can't ever give up. So get moving, Kia.__

Going slowly, she grabbed her bleeding arm with her other hand, and moved her good ankle out in front of her body. Hissing a gasp as she moved the rest of herself, she decided it was only __nearly__ as bad as she thought it would be. So, she did it again. And again, ignoring the pain.

"AND SHE'S MOVING! SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SHE CAN… BUT SHE'S MOVING!"

"KIA!" Her crew shouted from the sidelines, though she couldn't hear them.

She continued to move until she saw Zoro and Sanji looking up at her, and she finally let herself fall to her knees.

"Kia… you… okay?" Zoro asked haltingly.

"I'll kill them… for hurt… ing… you," Sanji added, and she could see they were in a huge amount of pain.

"This?" she asked, her smile not able to make more than a smirk, and her chuckle turning into a cough and a groan of pain. "This is nothin." She looked back and forth between them. "Now… we gonna win this, or what?" She gave them an actual smile this time, and they both got angry as her cut lip started bleeding again. "I can tell everyone that you only worked together because I made you," she suggested.

"Ten seconds," Zoro offered.

"Fine," Sanji wheezed.

"I want in," Kia said, her voice like steel. "I'm a straw hat pirate, so I can't give up."

"UH-OH! OUR BOSS HAS JUST ORDERED THE FAMOUS MONSTER BURGER!"

They stood up as the crowd started cheering, and the three of them faced off against the monsters as they pulled out more weapons.

"Grind 'em all up like burger meat…" Hamburg sang as he pounded two large metal clubs on the ground.

"Slice 'em like pickles, sour or sweet," Pickles continued as he swung dual swords.

"What are the toppings?" the crowd shouted in unison, and the straw hats on the field glanced over with a roll of their eyes.

"Lettuce and mushrooms and some fine yellow cheese…" Hamburg replied in song.

"Smashed between some big pans, now what do I see?" Big Pan added.

"A monster burger for me to eat!" the three of them finished.

"I'm sure the ref sees nothing," Kia muttered, but loud enough for the others to hear.

"I've got the sword guy," Zoro said flatly.

"I'll get the clubs," Sanji replied. "I'm going to kick him into that big guy's pans."

"If we can stun the big guy, we can pull him over, like we planned before," Kia added.

"I can't get high enough," Zoro mumbled.

"Not on your own, no, but a wicked kick boost from Sanji will fly you up there," she replied. "I'm going to run interference, and disarm who I can, okay?"

They both gave her slight nods.

"I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to do more," she said in a small voice.

"Yet," Zoro added.

"But soon," Sanji tacked on.

"Here they come," she said, her smile bigger, even though it pained her.

"Cooking battle huh?" Sanji said with a smirk to Kia, and then he took off. It took only moments, but with a flurry of kicks, he sent Hamburg flying into Big Pan's pans.

"I'll slice you for that!" Pickles shouted, and Zoro appeared in front of him.

"No sword style… Tastumaki!"

Kia moved in, seeing Hamburg was definitely out cold, she threw his clubs away and then she went straight for Big Pan's legs. As Pickles stopped spinning- and cutting his teammate to ribbons, he fell to the ground where Kia was waiting. She executed a thrust like she had practiced with her escrima sticks, slamming Pickle's wrist with her hand causing him to drop a sword, which she caught.

She then gave a high kick which made her rethink her injuries- but she knocked his other sword away. At the same time, Sanji gave a kick to Big Pan, keeping him upright.

She tossed both swords away from the field, as Sanji ran over and kicked him effortlessly- straight into the referee.

"Best kick ever!" she shouted, giving Sanji a shoulder to brace himself for his kick even as Zoro came running up.

"HERE THEY GO, FIGHTING AGAIN?!" the announcer shouted.

Kia saw Zoro smirk as he leaped, and Sanji caught him on his leg before kicking up toward Big Pan's face. He and Kia helped keep each other upright as they watched Zoro soar, grabbing onto the fishman's giant lips and hauling him off his feet and into the goal.

"ALL RIGHT!" the Straw Hats on the field and the sideline shouted in unison.

"GOAL, GOAL, GOOOAAALLL!" Itomimizu shouted and not long after the final whistle blew.

* * *

Kia and Sanji waited until Zoro joined them, and the two guys helped her hobble off the field. "I'm sorry… I think I made my ankle worse," she said, and they just shook their heads at her, before they started squabbling again.

"Those guys are awesome!" she heard from a foxy pirate.

"I want to be strong like them!"

"No wonder they all want her, she's amazing!"

The last one made her embarrassed, but she just rolled with it. She smiled and moved her arms to grab onto Luffy as he came running out to them.

"Good job you guys, that was so cool! I just knew you could do it!"

"Feh-feh-feh!" Foxy laughed as he moved in. "You just got lucky that's all!" he said angrily.

"Please, what did you think would happen?" Luffy boasted. "Like our guys would lose to you!"

"There's no way you'll beat us in the next round!" Foxy retorted, "so it doesn't matter!" turning around and going back to his crew.

Luffy and Kia laughed as Sanji did a strange dance in front of Nami and Robin, while Usopp slapped Zoro for scaring him. Luffy offered his back, and Kia took it, getting a ride the rest of the way off the field.


End file.
